Jobs boost for town as new firms move in

Yvonne Higgins, of Bauder Ltd, which aims to have a new warehouse in Stowmarket by May 2025

Two companies both opening new buildings in the same town have announced plans to recruit a combined total of 120 staff.

Bauder LTD, which makes sustainable roofing, is building a warehouse on Stowmarket's Gateway 14 business development, creating 20 jobs.

Yvonne Higgins, the managing director, said: "We want to recruit from the Ipswich area and Stowmarket."

Turkish firm Assan Panel, which makes building materials, is opening a £45m plant, also at the Gateway 14 site, and will be looking to fill 100 "highly-skilled" jobs.

Retailer The Range has already announced it is looking for 1,000 employees for its warehousing operation, also based at Gateway 14 on the outskirts of the town.

Ihsan Tolga Akar, of Assan Panel, which is opening a new plant in Stowmarket

Ihsan Tolga Akar, Assan Panel's managing director, said "the goal is to have the new plant operational by Autumn 2025".

Bauder employees looking at their new site at the Gateway 14 site in Stowmarket

The announcements come after the Suffolk Business Board recently agreed a five-year growth strategy.

In a report, it outlined the need to grow "quality jobs" in sectors including advanced manufacturing and engineering, which it said had seen a slight reduction year-on-year.

The largest employment sectors remain tourism, then health and social care, followed by ports and logistics.

The strategy also said Suffolk has a 96% employment rate.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the latest figures for the "UK employment rate for people aged 16 to 64 years was estimated at 74.8% in July to September 2024".