Kemi Badenoch visits Swindon battery manufacturer headquarters

By Nicky Godding

22 March 2024

Share

The Business Magazine article image for: Kemi Badenoch visits Swindon battery manufacturer headquarters

Kemi Badenoch visits Yuasa

GS Yuasa, a world leading battery manufacturer, welcomed The Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP, Business and Trade Secretary, to their headquarters and distribution centre in Swindon.

Kemi Badenoch MP, who is also the President of the Board of Trade, was given a tour of the facility. Led by senior directors, including Andrew Taylor, Managing Director and CEO of GS Yuasa Battery Europe Ltd., and James Hylton, Managing Director of GS Yuasa Battery Sales UK Ltd., the tour covered the vast 178,500 sq ft. sales and distribution facility.

The visit follows the recent opening of the state-of-the-art facility at Ignition Park, Swindon, which marked a new chapter for GS Yuasa as it aims to solidify its status as the world’s leading battery manufacturer. The new site serves both as the headquarters for GS Yuasa Battery Europe Ltd. and the sales and distribution centre for GS Yuasa Battery Sales UK Ltd.

During her visit, Kemi Badenoch saw innovative technologies and processes that the UK-arm of the Japanese battery manufacturer has implemented to enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. This includes sophisticated automated shuttle racking, AGV reach trucks, and dedicated charging facilities, all aimed at ensuring GS Yuasa remains at the forefront of the battery industry.

Andrew Taylor said: “We were thrilled to welcome The Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP to our Swindon headquarters. This visit highlights our commitment to excellence and innovation in the battery industry and reinforces the significance government interest in UK business growth and development.”

Business and Trade Secretary, Kemi Badenoch added: “Thank you very much to GS Yuasa for hosting me at their new state-of-the-art facility in Swindon. We want to encourage more businesses to follow in their footsteps and choose the UK, helping create skilled, high-wage jobs across the country and future-proofing our economy."

The visit is anticipated to foster further dialogue between the government and the manufacturing sector, highlighting the critical role of technological innovation and international trade in the UK’s economic development.

By Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe.

After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts.

She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.