£1.5m factory bid will give jobs boost to Mid Wales

Control Techniques in Newtown will lease the new engineering and design facility in Pool Road from the Welsh Assembly and create the permanent jobs.

The news has been hailed as a boost for the town and construction on the site will begin in this autumn, with a completion date set for summer 2014.

The company, which makes speed drives and power conversion technology for machinery, said the move will expand its global headquarters in the town.

It said it was currently upgrading its entire product line and the new space at the Pool Road site will be occupied by engineering teams dedicated to product design.

Enrique Minarro Viseras, president of Control Techniques, said he was delighted to announce the new jobs and described Newtown as the perfect location for its headquarters.

He said: "I am delighted to announce that Control Techniques plans to expand its Newtown operations – potentially creating up to 40 new jobs in the process. Newtown remains a vital part of our global operation and is a cost-effective and attractive location for our HQ.

"The development is expected to create up to 40 permanent new jobs at Control Techniques as well as a number of temporary construction jobs while work is ongoing.

"The roles at Control Techniques would primarily be for highly skilled engineering and design staff, recruited to develop new product lines.

"If progressed, the initiative will provide a welcome boost to the Mid Wales economy and would further secure Newtown as the centre of Control Techniques' global business."

Russell George, Montgomeryshire AM, said it was great news for the town and said the new jobs were "much needed".

He said: "I'm pleased that the Welsh Government has invested in this new unit development and the creation of 40 new jobs at Control Techniques as a consequence, is very welcome news indeed, both for Newtown and the wider regional economy."