Office equipment giant Ricoh UK is to create 200 jobs as part of a massive expansion of its plant in Telford, it was revealed today.The jobs bonanza will see vacancies up for grabs from next month until August. A wide range of skilled and unskilled workers will be sought.
Ricoh, which opened in Telford in 1985, is already one of the biggest employers in the borough.
But this latest expansion of its manufacturing base in Priorslee will see the workforce increased by more than 30 per cent to 850.
The company’s investment will come as a huge shot in the arm for the Telford economy at a time when the nation’s manufacturers are suffering and the credit crunch has bitten hard.
Ricoh will buck the trend by spending more than £2 million on major alterations at Priorslee to enable it to expand and extend its product lines.
Company spokesman Christine Petrovic said the expansion partly involved the making of new products but mostly centred on increased production of existing lines, including toners, photocopiers, plastic mouldings and organic drums for copiers.
She said: “This is really good news and not just for manufacturing, not just for Ricoh but also for Telford.
“We have worked very hard to show our headquarters in Japan that we are very good at what we do.
“We work very efficiently, very cost-effectively and are continuously trying to improve.”
She said the jobs on offer ranged from team leaders and engineers to maintenance workers and production staff.
Ricoh is to host two job fairs in the coming days when staff will be on hand at Priorslee to talk about the vacancies and to give tours of the plant. The first will take place tomorrow from 10am to 2pm and the second on June 6, from 2pm to 6pm.
Telford & Wrekin Council leader Councillor Andrew Eade said he was delighted by the announcement which reinforced Telford’s reputation for attracting new investment by major international firms.
He added: “This is simply great news for the borough.
“A £2 million expansion by one of our premier employers which creates 200 jobs is a super investment and a tremendous boost for our local economy.”
By Simon Hardy
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