- The new digital manufacturing facility and the longer term phases of investment will unlock substantial growth for Lontra and its technology partners, creating 1000s of high value jobs and careers
September 30, 2019: Lontra, a world pioneer in advanced engineering technologies, has today announced the opening of the UK’s first purpose-built advanced manufacturing centre in Napton, Warwickshire, in partnership with Shield Group Engineering. This is the first phase of a rapid expansion driven by exports where Lontra is seeking to develop several advanced manufacturing centres, a global technology centre, assembly facilities and a revolutionary digitally driven services centre.
This new advanced manufacturing facility will complement the firm’s existing R&D Technology Centre enabling the firm to better address a £69-billion market across 150 countries through its rapidly growing distributor network. The state-of-the-art facility is part of a new build high-tech manufacturing and research park.
Lontra is working towards a collaborative UK Industry and Government £70-million investment proposal to expand its research, development and manufacturing further in The Midlands and The North, launch a new digital services facility in London and build several assembly plants in multiple ports around the UK developing 1000’s of high value jobs and careers.
Lontra, the company behind the Blade Compressor® – the first clean-sheet compressor design in over 80 years – will use the facility to expand its manufacturing capabilities, enabling them to better address the £69bn global market for compressed air. Currently 80% of Lontra’s rapidly growing products, manufacturing and services can be exported from the UK to key markets including the US and UAE.
With the backing of Shield Group Engineering, one of the largest manufacturers in the UK with contracts to supply components to Caterpillar, Cummins, Aston Martin, Borg Warner, Ford and JCB, the project is expected to make a significant impact on the local and UK economy.
Steve Lindsey, CEO and Founder at Lontra said:
“I’m delighted to be able to announce the opening of this state-of-the-art digital manufacturing facility here in the Midlands, taking advantage of the world class talent in the area, to power the next phase of growth.
Lontra is now incredibly well-positioned to address the £69-billion global market for compressed air solutions and we continue to develop high value and exportable technologies, products and services.”
From its newly-expanded headquarters in the Midlands, Lontra licenses and sells its multi-award winning products through a rapidly growing multi-national distributor network.
The development of high-skilled engineering and manufacturing careers is a priority for the UK Government, and a key element of the Industrial Strategy. Lontra has been committed to the UK market for more than 15 years and affirms its continuous support to the UK economy, despite significant incentives from overseas markets.
About Lontra
Lontra is a fast growing Midlands firm with a growing manufacturing capability working with global technical and commercial partners. Lontra’s flagship innovation is the Blade Compressor®, a patent protected compact, double acting rotary compressor which delivers a Triple Win to end-users; oil free, more reliable and provides significant improvements in efficiency for application in energy intensive industries such as water treatment, food, pharmaceutical and cement manufacture. www.lontra.co.uk
About the Blade Compressor®
Lontra’s Blade Compressor® is a step change in air compressor technology, best imagined as a piston and cylinder, but with the cylinder wrapped into a ring doughnut shape. As the piston or “blade” rotates, air is drawin in behind it and compressed in front of it in an almost continuous cycle. The Blade Compressor® has a unique oil-free geometry providing internal compression with very low leakage and low inlet and outlet flow losses giving a machine that is quieter, smoother, more reliable and highly efficient.
A low pressure (1Bar/15psi) Blade Compressor® has already been proven in a trial with Severn Trent Water, where reductions in energy consumption of over 21% were shown. The technology is now licensed for the municipal and regulated waste water sector to Sulzer, a global leader in pumping equipment with 21 manufacturing facilities and presence in over 150 countries worldwide. In parallel Lontra and Shield have developed a manufacturing capability to help address the broader $84bn market.
