The historic Metal Box factory in Neath has been officially relaunched after undergoing a multi-million-pound revamp. The factory building, situated within a 50 acre site and known locally as the Box, had been vacate for a number of years before being acquired by Neath-based timber frame and offsite construction specialist SO Modular and Neath Port Talbot Council in 2019.
SO Modular has invested £10m on the acquisition and regenerating a large part of the landmark site. The company, which currently employs around 150 people at the site, anticipates it will double its workforce as it increases its capacity to 3,000 homes per year.
Ministry of Furniture, an education and workplace interiors specialist, recently took a further 8,000 sq ft of space over two floors at the site on a long-term lease. It has plans to take a further 40,000 sq ft of manufacturing space in the future, supporting further expansion and new jobs.
Other tenants attracted to the revamped site include the Safety Letter Box Company and Vortex.
Charlotte Hale, director of SO Modular, said: “We have ambitions that are bigger than our own business and have always wanted to benefit the local economy by creating a sustainable, redefining building that restores the site to its former glory, but in an innovative and eco-friendly way. We want it to be a landmark of the town again, which the community can be proud of, while also benefiting the local supply chain and keeping jobs and money in the region.”
She said the entire site is well on its way to being carbon neutral.
Graham Hirst, managing director, Ministry of Furniture, said: “We are a business with social aims and we want to expand our manufacturing facilities here (Metal Box) in a way that will create another 75 local jobs.
“In addition to developing our business and expanding our offering, we also want to help develop the site, so it once again sits at the heart of the community in the region. Once upon a time, this was a vibrant hub with local sports teams and other community groups all using the space. We want to play a part in making that a reality again.”
The factory site was originally built 70 years ago. Prior to be acquired by SO Modular and the local authority, it was occupied by Crown Packaging before its closure in 2016.
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