Humber Freeport has joined manufacturers’ association Make UK, strengthening its ties to industry and major employers.
Humber Freeport provides a range of investment opportunities across its three tax sites in Hull, Goole and Immingham, and has identified manufacturing as a key target sector.
Joining Make UK will connect the Freeport more closely with manufacturers already located in the region, alongside prospective investors considering the Humber region as a place to do business.
It will help the Freeport better understand the needs of the manufacturing sector, which employs almost 300,000 people across Yorkshire and the Humber. The Freeport is particularly keen to focus on skills development and innovation within the sector.
Make UK serves as a powerful voice for manufacturers, championing growth and innovation and forging a powerful future for the industry.
Humber Freeport will also be represented on Make UK’s Yorkshire & Humber Regional Advisory Board, helping to inform the organisation’s external affairs and policy work.
Richard Beason, Humber Freeport’s Head of Investment, said: “We’re delighted to have joined Make UK, unlocking new opportunities for us to connect with manufacturers and demonstrate how freeport status can help them invest and grow.
The manufacturing sector employs almost 300,000 people across Yorkshire and the Humber.
“Humber Freeport provides the development land at our tax sites, and a host of incentives for companies, which are designed to stimulate investments which will, in turn, create skilled job opportunities, nurture innovation and support economic growth in our region.
“We’re keen to speak to manufacturers both within the region, and outside of it, to understand what they need to spark growth. We believe Humber Freeport is equipped with a box of tools which can help companies do exactly that.
“Make UK has been a powerful advocate and champion of the manufacturing sector for more than a century. In becoming a member, we join a network of businesses which share a common ambition to grow and make the Humber a brilliant place to live and work.”
Businesses investing in the Humber Freeport tax sites benefit from a series of incentives, including accelerated capital allowances, land tax and stamp duty relief, and relief from employer National Insurance contributions for the first three years.
The tax sites are already home to world-class manufacturing capabilities. At the Hull East tax site, Siemens Gamesa invested £186m to expand its offshore wind turbine blade manufacturing facility at Alexandra Dock.
The 41,600 sq m expansion was designed to accommodate increased production capacity. The factory’s location within the boundary of the Hull East tax site enabled Siemens Gamesa to benefit from tax relief on the expansion.
Make UK serves as a powerful voice for manufacturers, championing growth and innovation and forging a powerful future for the industry.
Separately, chemicals manufacturer Mitsubishi Chemical Group is on site with a £250m expansion of its facility at Saltend Chemicals Park, east of Hull.
Mitsubishi Chemical Group has invested in a new production line, which will double capacity to meet growing demand for SoarnoL, the brand name for a grade of Ethylene Vinyl Co-Polymer (EVOH) which is primarily used in food packaging to extend product shelf life.
Elsewhere, Finnish manufacturer Metsä Tissue has selected part of the Goole tax site to develop the UK’s largest paper tissue mill. The development will create hundreds of jobs once operational, with thousands of indirect jobs in the supply chain and local economy.
Annette Hobson, Regional Membership Manager for Make UK, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome the Humber Freeport into the Make UK family. This relationship is reinforcing the critical role that freeports play in fostering national manufacturing growth.
“This partnership isn’t just about regional links. It’s about connecting manufacturers directly to the unique trade, investment and innovation opportunities the Freeport offers.
“Strategically, this cements our shared agenda for driving industrial decarbonisation, boosting supply chain resilience and ensuring a competitive environment for British industry on the global stage and ultimately supporting significant job creation and economic prosperity right across the Humber.
“We are absolutely delighted that the Humber Freeport will also be represented on our Yorkshire & the Humber Regional Advisory Board. This strategic addition links a vital logistics and trade hub to Make UK’s external affairs and policy work, strengthening our regional influence.”
Manufacturing is a powerhouse of the UK economy. The sector accounts for more than £200bn of output, supports 2.6 million jobs and delivers almost half of the UK’s total goods exports.
- To find out more about Make UK, and to become a member, visit: makeuk.org/
