14th Oct 2024

Successful supplier engagement day for Agratas

In partnership with Agratas, we invited Somerset businesses from various sectors to hear about future supplier opportunities.

Last week, 340 people from local businesses across Somerset attended an open day to hear about the opportunities to work on the development of the Agratas battery facility near Bridgwater.

In partnership with Agratas, we invited businesses operating in various sectors, including catering, offsite consolidation, and signage to hear updates on the Gravity Smart Campus development and explore future supplier opportunities. 

David Crew, Managing Director, Somerset Chamber of Commerce, said: “Somerset has many skilled and talented businesses who are ready to help deliver this exciting project.

The supplier engagement day was very well-attended and informative, describing a fantastic opportunity for local businesses to be at the heart of the green revolution here in Somerset as vehicle manufacturers switch from fossil fuel vehicles to electric vehicles.

Somerset Chamber is looking forward to supporting local businesses, Agratas and its partners to mobilise and deliver this transformative project in our region.”

During the supplier engagement day, businesses were provided a comprehensive project overview, detailing the objectives and significance of the Agratas facility. Attendees were updated on the site progress to date, highlighting key milestones achieved and the work packages currently being considered for future collaboration. The event offered valuable networking opportunities, enabling suppliers to connect, discuss potential partnerships, and engage at exhibition stands where they could ask questions and gain a deeper understanding into the project’s requirements.

Jefferson Weber, Head of Construction at Agratas, commented: “It was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm and expertise in the room at the first supplier engagement day for the Agratas facility in Bridgwater. While this is a nationally significant project, Agratas is committed to a local-first approach that provides opportunities for businesses and individuals across Somerset.”

Graham Lill, Project Director at Sir Robert McAlpine, said: “This supplier engagement day marks an exciting opportunity for us to connect with local businesses in Somerset. It highlights our commitment to collaborating with the community as we move forward with the Agratas facility project. Sir Robert McAlpine is proud to work alongside high-quality businesses from the region, and together, we can create a meaningful impact on the local economy.”

The Agratas site at Bridgwater is a multibillion-dollar facility that will design, develop and manufacture high-quality, high-performance, sustainable electric batteries once operational. It is set to be the biggest battery facility in the country and by the early 2030s will contribute almost half of the projected battery manufacturing capacity required for the UK automotive sector.

The facility itself will create up to 4,000 new high-skilled green tech jobs in the area, with many thousands more expected to be created in the UK supply chain. 

Supplier engagement day for Agratas battery facility in Bridgwater

Well, it seemed like, kind of the big thing,
the event to come to.
I've met so many wonderful businesses who are
also like-minded when it comes
to delivering best deliverables in the industry.
Heard of Agratas, just having seen the news that obviously,
that this huge business was coming to Somerset.
My company is located in Bridgewater.
I have family here three generations, so I'm very proud
that we're getting a big investment in our local area.
I was born and raised in Bridgewater,
so it's a great pleasure to be here today
and stand in front of so many local people
and local businesses.
Agratas has a community first approach to jobs
and the supply chain.
What we hope to get today was to understand about
how the business partner's gonna work together
and ensure the local community benefits
from this great investment.
We wanted to come today to kind of network, meet people
and just see what we can get involved
in as part of the project.
The presentations are really, really informative
and it's really good that local businesses are getting
opportunity just to initially engage what's,
what's gonna happen with this project
Today. I feel like I really
got what I needed.
It was really interesting listening
to the speakers on stage.
This project is gonna expose best practices
to local ency.
That actually, you know, resonated with me a lot.
It's been fantastic so far to work
with colleagues from Sir Robert McAlpine.
They have a reputation
and a track record of delivering big construction
projects, which are really complex. We
Had such a huge, uh, response, uh, to the invitation
that went out to the whole of Somerset.
So we met people from catering to Porter cabins
to electricians, so lots of different trades
and lots of different companies.
For me, this is an amazing opportunity for Somerset.
The investment is fantastic
and I come along today to support Agratas
and Sir Robert McAlpine
because we really want
to see local businesses get an opportunity
to deliver this incredible project for Somerset.
We're looking for all kinds of suppliers.
You know, there's some groundbreaking
technology in what we're doing.
I've seen the site and the, the scale is absolutely huge.
Uh, and the work, you know, I can't even imagine the amount
of work that's going into it.
I think this event has been remarkable for us.
I think that shows the interest
that the local community have got in support in Agratas task,
and we want them to be part of the journey.

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