ROLLS-ROYCE has began work on its new multi-million pound service centre, which is set to bring 40 new jobs to the area.
Bosses of the global power systems company gathered for a ground breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on Thursday.
The new plant, in Scylla Road, close to the southern perimeter of Heathrow Airport, will provide specialist maintenance and support services for commercial plane engines.
It will replace an exisiting nearby plant and will see the number of staff the company already employs in the borough double to 80, with forty transferring from the old base.
The new site will will include two new buildings, including a state-of-the art-engine workshop and will stretch to nearly 95,000 square feet. This is four times larger than the existing plant, enabling teams to work on up to 13 engines at any one time - double what was previously possible - the firm says.
Russell Buxton, president of Rolls-Royce civil large engines fleet, said: “The London Heathrow Service Centre will form an integral part our global network of service centres, and will enable us to deliver truly world class support for our customers.
“Rolls-Royce continuously invests in technology and infrastructure to expand the scale and efficiency of our operations to enhance the services we deliver to our growing customer base.”
Rolls-Royce was in lengthy discussions with Hillingdon council before submitting proposals for the plant last year. The plans were welcomed by councillors for creating a much-needed jobs boost.
The new service centre, which will replace the former Long Haul Catering base, is expected to open for business early next year.
