Specsavers founder Dame Mary Perkins recently cut the ribbon to open a new manufacturing and distribution centre in Kidderminster (
www.specsavers.co.uk).
Around 400 people have been given jobs at the new site at Stourpoint Five, with another 200 jobs expected to be created over the next five years, as the company expands its operations and doubles its capacity.
Dame Mary said: ‘Ever since we set up Specsavers in 1984, it has been important for us to oversee our own manufacturing, in order to control quality and staff conditions while at the same time being able to pass our cost
savings on to all Specsavers stores and their customers.’
Construction took 11 months and was completed in November last year. The Specsavers group’s International Glazing Services (IGS) and Lens Online operations moved into the two new units in phases.
Specsavers also has a lens-manufacturing facility — Vision Labs —in Kidderminster, while other manufacturing and distribution operations include Airways Optical in Eastleigh and NLRX/Hi-Spec Lenses in Kettering.
Simon Holloway, director of manufacturing and distribution, said: ”We are delighted to be operating from our new facilities at Stour-port Five.
”Both IGS and Lens Online have gone through a significant amount of change relocating to the new premises, and they have continued to deliver excellent service to the Specsavers stores. We are already seeing huge productivity benefits from operating from these new premises, plus a reduction in our carbon footprint.”