OPTICIAN giants Specsavers have announced it is to invest £12million in a new Kidderminster manufacturing and distribution facility.

More than 200 jobs are to be created when the new base is opened on Stourport Road, on the site previously occupied by Romwire.

Amounting to a £12 million investment and totalling 75,000 square feet, the new facility will combine existing Specsavers operations in the area and offer expansion potential to meet the demands of a growing order book.

Specsavers’ International Glazing Services business glazes customer’s frames with prescription lenses for stores in Nordic countries. The Lens Online business stocks and sends out lenses and contact lenses to stores and directly to customers.

Last week, it was announced the company had signed a deal with Kidderminster-based Hewett Recruitment, who will source skilled workers from Wyre Forest for Specsavers.

Specsavers will also take advantage of Wyre Forest District Council’s Local Development Order, to make planning and developing such facilities easier in certain locations.

Simon Holloway, Director of Manufacturing and Distribution at Specsavers, said: “The growth of our business means that we have outgrown the current site.

“We were keen to keep the business in the local area to make sure we retain our skilled staff and, following a tender process, we decided on the Stourpoint Five site.

“As well as giving us room to grow, the new premises will be more modern, safer and allow us to provide better facilities for our staff and a better service to our customers.

“The move will mean we’ll be able to double our capacity and the size of the site will give us room to expand further in the future.

“The expansion of the business will also create more jobs in the local area. We estimate that we’ll employ around 230 more people across the two businesses within five years of moving to the new site.”

Mike Parker, Director of Economic Prosperity and Place at Wyre Forest District Council, said: “Officers from Wyre Forest District Council and North Worcestershire Economic Development and Regeneration (NWedR) have worked alongside the Specsavers team to ensure that their development proposals can be accommodated on the site and benefit from the LDO. “These development plans highlight the fact that Wyre Forest is a very attractive place to invest and that foundations laid by the ReWyre initiative are now bearing fruit.

“This will help the local economy to recover and bring in new job opportunities as well as signalling continued confidence in the local area.”

“These are exciting times for Wyre Forest as we are seeing a boom in manufacturing investment within Kidderminster.

“This development by Specsavers is a further major boost to the local economy in the South Kidderminster Enterprise Park, following the investment made by Amtek Auto currently fitting out the former Lawrence’s recycling plant.

“This is in addition to the recent relocation by Quantum Mouldings and NTM-GB to the former Sealine Site. “In total, these developments have the potential to bring around 850 jobs to the area and we are proud that the District Council has helped all of these businesses with their investment plans.”