Hawick cabling company Emtelle unveils US expansion plans

Emtelle already employs about 700 people worldwide as part of its operations

A Scottish cabling company has unveiled plans to expand into the US for the first time.

Emtelle, which has its headquarters in Hawick, is opening a new manufacturing facility in Fletcher, North Carolina.

The firm already employs 700 staff worldwide and it said the new factory would create up to 200 jobs.

It said the move would also allow it to better serve its customer base in North America by providing its first fully "made in the USA" range of products.

Emtelle describes itself as the "leading global manufacturer of pre-connectorised blown fibre, cabling and ducted solutions".

It already has manufacturing facilities in Denmark and Germany and recently announced the acquisition of Dubai-based telecoms ducts manufacturer AfriPipes.

'Landmark moment'

It has also expanded its UK manufacturing facilities to Wrexham to help meet "unprecedented demand".

The company said the latest expansion continued its efforts to "put the Scottish Borders on the new technology map".

Chief executive Tony Rodgers said: "Our US expansion marks a landmark moment for Emtelle.

"With an estimated multi billion dollars to be invested in fibre rollouts across the US in the next five years, the new manufacturing facility in Fletcher will better position us to ensure our customers across the US have access to our high-quality product range."