The boss of a long-established Dorset manufacturing company has hailed as ‘incredibly exciting’ plans to move to a new site in Poole.

Wallisdown-based Parvalux Electric Motors Ltd has announced an agreement in principle to purchase the 8.75-acre former Siemens site in Sopers Lane.

Construction of a 140,000 sq ft factory and office headquarters is due to begin later this year, subject to planning permission and completion of a land quality assessment.

Nick Spetch, Managing Director, pictured, said: “Parvalux has been a major employer in the Bournemouth area since 1957 and this is an incredibly exciting move.

“We chose Sopers Lane because it uniquely enables amalgamation of our three existing factories to create a single purpose-built manufacturing centre and, importantly, is easily accessed by our highly-skilled workforce.

“Following hot on the heels of the acquisition of Parvalux in December 2018, this significant investment underlines our parent company maxon’s commitment to the local economy and to growing the global Parvalux brand.”

Parvalux is the UK’s largest manufacturer of small geared motors, offering a wide range of customisable AC and DC geared motors for a broad range of applications.

The company has more than 70 years’ experience and supplies businesses across the world in the healthcare, leisure, mobility and industrial sectors.

It was first established in 1947 by Mr L. Clark in Romford, Essex, where it began by selling motor rewinds.

The company relocated to Dorset in 1957 and the company moved from simply rewinding motors to designing and manufacturing complete gear-motor units for industrial applications.

In 2008, Parvalux acquired the Essex based EMD Drive Systems Ltd. and relocated the company to its Wallisdown HQ, nearly doubling the turnover in the process.

The Clark Group ownership of the company came to an end in December 2018 when maxon motor, the Swiss-based specialist for mechatronic drive systems, acquired the company.

Mr Spetch, a qualified electrical and electronics engineer, joined Parvalux as Sales Director in 2008 and was promoted four years later to Managing Director.

Parvalux made a pre-tax profit of £2.8m on a turnover of £23.2m in the year to September 30, 2018.

The company employs around 180 people.