Construction begins on £10 million extension for Powys firm

Invertek Drives has started construction on a 2,771sq metre extension as part of a £10 million investment that also includes an Application and Training Centre at the company’s global headquarters.

The extension will allow Invertek to increase production of its Optidrive VFD products from 460,000 units a year to more than 1.2 million.

Directors at the business marked the start of construction with a ground-breaking at the site.

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Shaun Dean, CEO of Invertek Drives Ltd, said: “It’s great to see work beginning on this latest phase in Invertek’s growth. Sumitomo Heavy Industries (SHI) is investing significantly in the business at Welshpool where we are also increasing skilled employment and career opportunities.

“We have seen exceptional growth over the past three years. The new facility will allow us to increase production to match future expectations and is a commitment by SHI and Invertek to our long-term future in the area.”

Invertek Drives manufactures Optidrive VFDs that control AC electric motors used in a range of applications including motion control, pumping, HVAC, and refrigeration.

By controlling the speed of motors, VFDs make them more energy efficient, which results in less energy use and reduces associated emissions, supporting the need to reduce climate change globally and being welcomed by companies looking to reduce their environmental impact.

Many industries around the world will use a VFD for a motor or pump control application, from engineering and manufacturing to food production, water industries, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture.

The extension will allow Invertek to increase production of its Optidrive VFD products from 460,000 units a year to more than 1.2 million.

These extensions to the 5,500sq metre facility, which will increase to 8,271sq metres once completed, are in addition to the proposed £6.3m Innovation Centre planned on land acquired next to the site.

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The existing manufacturing facility was only completed in 2019 and currently employs 350 people, with the extension set to create more jobs at the facility.

The extension comes in addition to a planned £6.3 million investment in an Innovation Centre at the site, which aims to provide research and development facilities for designing the next generation of VFDs.