Business News
Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire opens new Hemel Hempstead based FFEI UK Head Quarters
Tuesday 28. October 2008 - The Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, the Countess of Verulam, today officially opened FFEIs new 66,000sqft HQ and technology centre, in Hemel Hempstead, UK.
The Queen’s representative for Hertfordshire is touring the local area, escorted by a number of dignitaries, including the Mayor of Dacorum, Cllr Mrs Carol Green. Lady Verulam takes an active interest in the industrial and social well-being of the county and has identified FFEI as an influential business and encouraging example of success, as one of the companies affected by the Buncefield oil depot explosion in 2005.
FFEI are the integrators and creative expertise behind many of the most groundbreaking product solutions in the graphic arts market, servicing the commercial, newspaper and industrial print sectors. The new facility is designed to further streamline and better support the companys rapidly expanding R&D and manufacturing operations for CTP (computer-to-plate) prepress equipment and inkjet printing technology. The Countess of Verulam will view the centres state-of-the-art development areas for digital printing and life science micro scanning technology, along with the new software development lab to house FFEI’s growing software business.
“We are honoured to welcome Lady Verulam to open our new premises,” comments Andy Cook, Managing Director, FFEI. “This £2 million investment will provide the cutting edge equipment and facilities we need to continue the business expansion into new technology areas, as well as future-proof the existing FFEI product offering. Many of our customers are global market leaders and as such, we pride ourselves in offering high quality, leading design and manufacturing capabilities in order to meet their requirements.”
The official opening of the new site comes just two months before the third anniversary of the Buncefield oil depot explosion that severely damaged FFEIs previous site, as well as many other premises on Maylands Business Park and in the surrounding area.
Andy Cook explains, “Since the Buncefield disaster, FFEI had been searching for a suitable replacement premises. The decision to keep our operations in Hemel Hempstead centred on the fact that many FFEI employees are based in the area and Maylands remains one of the largest industrial sites in the UK, with good transport infrastructure. We are now looking forward to a long term future in Hemel Hempstead, as a successful and responsible employer and part of the local community.”
With over 600 active businesses, including many blue-chip worldwide brands, Maylands Business Park is an ideal, well serviced, trade hub’ for the south. The Countess of Verulams visit to this successful business site intends to generate positive interest in the local area, as the anniversary of the 2005 explosion draws near.
Mayor of Dacorum, Cllr Mrs Carol Green, concludes, “I am delighted to be escorting the Lord Lieutenant around the Borough, to see some of the excellent work that goes on here. I hope Verulam’s official opening of FFEI Limited’s new premises helps other companies realise the great potential of the Maylands Business Park, and the role they could play in supporting the regeneration of the area, by putting their future in the town.”