Sunderland-based AR Controls, a fast-growing automation and robotics specialist, has acquired a new 12,000ft² unit at Sunrise Enterprise Park.

Established six years ago, the company counts Nissan and Jaguar Land Rover among its customers and is now looking to grow its team from 37 to around 45 or 50 people in the next 18 months.

It has initially agreed a lease on the new premises but plans to acquire the property, adding to its existing estate, which includes its 18,000ft² headquarters (also at Sunrise Enterprise Park) and a base in North Hylton (www.ar-controls.co.uk).

Managing director Andrew Ramsey said: “Despite many negative projections about the UK’s automotive manufacturing sector, the growth our business has seen over the last two years is incredibly positive, and I am tremendously excited about the future.

"We work with some of the world’s leading automation suppliers in sensing, position control, visual inspection, machine safety, audio-indent, robotics, drives and programmable logic control, and we have a ‘safety first’ design
and development philosophy.

“Our sustained growth has given us the confidence to continue building and developing the business, and I’m delighted to have secured the lease and the option to buy these new premises, which will help us to continue our trajectory of expansion.”