WARWICKSHIRE MEANS BUSINESS

EDAG find the "perfect location" in Warwickshire

German automotive engineering firm EDAG Engineering Limited believes that Warwickshire is the "perfect location" for their new UK base.

Early last year EDAG, which employs over 8,000 people worldwide, decided that it was time to expand its presence in the UK. The company has had a registered office in this country since 1989 to meet demands and be close to customers, but sought a base from which to add to a global customer-list already including motor industry giants such as Audi, BMW, Bugatti, Daimler, Ford, General Motors and Porsche.

The question was where should they settle? And the answer quickly became clear: Warwickshire.

In March 2016, EDAG Engineering Limited moved into new offices in Leamington Spa. And they are delighted with their base in The Parade, in the heart of town - a base which they found with the assistance of the Inward Investment Team at Warwickshire County Council.

"We want to build a major presence in the UK so the question was to figure out which location was best," said EDAG Operations Director Clemens Pchalek. "We have a lot of projects and customers in the UK but want to attract more. We just needed a home.

"It quickly became clear that for a business in our sector, Warwickshire is that location. We are close to Birmingham and big target customers like Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin and so close to the motorway network that we have great access to everywhere, whether it's Crewe, Oxford or London.

"When we started our search we spoke to the UKTI, who were very helpful, and then to Stacy O'Connor from Warwickshire County Council's Inward Investment team. She was regularly in touch to alert us to possible premises. It is a complicated process and can seem never-ending so it was great to have somebody with real local knowledge and expertise to help us.

"We have found premises in the perfect location for us, right in the centre of town, which is good for employees. There are good car-parking possibilities and there is also a railway station."

And while Leamington Spa is proving perfect for EDAG, the benefit is mutual as the town benefits from the arrival of a company which is very keen to integrate itself into the area.

"We wanted to be in the heart of the town because we don't just come here to work - we want to be part of the town and the community," said Mr Pchalek. "We love Leamington with all the bars and restaurants it has to offer. Every month we have a 'Payday Takeaway' where all our staff go for a meal in a chosen place. We are aiming to get round them all in the end!  

"It has proved to be a great choice for us, with scope to move into bigger office-space if necessary, and we aim to be a long-term member of the town's really welcoming business community."

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