Swiss manufacturer makes a significant investment in Maidstone factory

By Nicky Godding

27 July 2023

Share

The Business Magazine article image for: Swiss manufacturer makes a significant investment in Maidstone factory

Pictured: Conrad Thrower and MP Helen Whately at the Zehnder Maidstone Factory Launch

Ventilation systems manufacturer Zehnder Group has revealed its new factory in Maidstone as the company committed to remaining and investing in the Maidstone area.

Faversham and Mid Kent MP, Minister of State for the Department of Health and Social Care, Helen Whately and The Worshipful the Deputy Mayor of Maidstone, Martin Cox, attended the opening of the manufacturing plant, which will bring new work opportunities to the local area.

Most of the staff live within 12 miles of the site, including the factory’s operations manager, and every employee has access to a local free electric bus service to help them get to work. The launch will also open up job opportunities for local residents, with a focus on skilled and experienced professionals in the manufacturing and engineering fields.

Chairman of the Board of Directors for the 120-year-old Zehnder Group, Dr Hans-Peter Zehnder and Zehnder UK Managing Director, Tony Twohig, welcomed guests for an exclusive tour.

The new factory site has been designed to meet the highest standards of quality and sustainability and will incorporate the latest energy-efficient technologies to minimise its environmental impact.

New machinery, such as plastic moulding machines, cooling systems and a fully electric vehicle fleet, including forklift trucks, also work to the latest energy efficiency ratings - lowering Zehnder’s carbon footprint.

Helen Whately MP, said: “It’s great to have Zehnder in Maidstone and continuing to invest in our local economy. Its new factory is impressive, combining innovative technology with sustainability.

“Investments like this are just what our area needs. They bring good jobs and opportunities, and mark Kent out as a place to do business. I wish Zehnder every success for the future.”

The modern manufacturing facility represents a significant investment for the company.

Factory operations manager Conrad Thrower said: "This new facility will offer us increased production capacity and more efficient technology to expand our product lines and services.”

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.