News has reached us that Ebac, the fridge freezer, dehumidifier and water cooler company plans to open a new washing machine production facility in County Durham and is set to create more than two hundred new jobs.
Ebac was founded by TV’s first Secret Millionaire John Elliott, said it is to develop new products in a £7m venture, made possible by £1m from the RGF.
Mr Elliott said, “During my 50 years in manufacturing, the trend has been for jobs to be lost in the North East. It is great to have this chance to bring sustainable jobs for County Durham people,” he said.
“If we are to resolve the UK’s economic problems we need to start making things again and support for projects such as this is a huge step in the right direction.
“The money from the Regional Growth Fund makes all of this possible and will quickly reap returns for the economy.”
We have to say, it would indeed be nice to see a washing machine… any washing machine, once again being produced in the UK.
“This exciting new venture is a huge boost to manufacturing in the North East of England, because it opens up new market for us, creating jobs and making County Durham home to the UK’s only washing machine manufacturing facility,” said managing director Pamela Petty.
“We have spent months exploring not only the feasibility of manufacturing washing machines, but also the processes involved and we are very confident of having a high quality, competitive product on the market within the next two years.
“The money from the RGF makes all of this possible and will quickly reap returns for the economy.”
Ebac Group said about four-million washing machines are purchased in the UK each year and all of them are imported although our figures would suggest less than this it is still true that, currently, no washing machines are produced in the UK with many coming from Turkey and China now.
Mr Elliott said that, “The new facility will definitely be situated in County Durham, which has been the home of Ebac since I founded the company in 1973.
“This area has a strong and willing workforce upon which we know we can draw to man the new operations and my decision to place the company into a foundation earlier this year was influenced by my desire for the business to stay here.”