- MS-RT to open new manufacturing facility on Ford Dagenham estate in June
- Expansion enables growth of existing MS-RT facility at Mamhilad Park Estate in South Wales, creating 170 new jobs across both sites
- Santander UK provides £2.3m funding to support MS-RT’s growth plans
Leading commercial vehicle converter MS-RT is to launch a new manufacturing facility on the Ford Dagenham estate in June. The factory has the potential to create more than 120 new jobs when fully operational.
MS-RT is a design-led automotive engineering company creating bespoke Ford vehicles. Its range comprises the Ford Transit Connect MS-RT, Ford Transit Custom MS-RT and Ford Ranger MS-RT, with vehicles sold to consumers through Ford Transit Specialist dealers throughout the UK. MS-RT has a licence agreement with M-Sport, which operates a global motorsport business on the circuits of the world’s most acclaimed motorsports series. The business has a full-service customisation offering incorporating research and design through to manufacturing and after sales support.
Santander UK has provided MS-RT with a £2.3m funding package enabling it to develop its new premises on the site of Ford’s main UK manufacturing plant. The funding supports its investment to fully refurbish the facility with state-of-the-art paint facilities, a semi-automated production line, extensive warehousing, and a design and engineering studio. The Dagenham facility has Freeport status enabling more cost-effective exports, primarily to Europe, with the UK initially being its prime volume market. The facility has capacity to produce 32 vehicles a day.
MS-RT’s existing site at Mamhilad Park Estate near Pontypool, Wales, was established in 2015 and employs a staff of 130. When the new operation opens at Ford Dagenham, MS-RT’s parent company, EDC Limited, will focus its Mamhilad operations on a growing list of global vehicle manufacturer clients that are looking to add ‘sporty derivatives’ of their commercial vehicle range to their product line-up. The business plans to hire an additional 50 staff at Mamhilad Park Estate over the coming year, while it continues to invest in additional manufacturing facilities and equipment at the Pontypool site.
It is anticipated that the Ford Dagenham expansion, coupled with growth in capacity at Pontypool, will increase the annual turnover of EDC Limited from £21m last year to a forecast £66m by 2025.
Joe Pace, Managing Director at MS-RT said: “Having Santander UK onboard as a lender has enabled our company to expand our operations, increasing the revenue of the business and ultimately creating more jobs for the local community, both in Pontypool and in Dagenham. We look forward to strengthening our relationship going forward and working with Santander UK in our future endeavours.”
Myrddyn Hughes, Relationship Director at Santander UK, said: “We are delighted to support MS-RT to grow through its new manufacturing facility on the Ford Dagenham estate and in diversifying operations at its existing site at Mamhilad, creating jobs in both locations. Santander UK is pleased to provide specialist expertise and support to growing manufacturing businesses such as MS-RT, which has an exciting future ahead.”
- Ends -
The information contained in our press releases is intended solely for journalists and should not be used by consumers to make financial decisions.
For information about MS-RT, please visit: https://www.ms-rt.com/