Start of a new ERA for home security firm as i54 headquarters is completed
A historic Black Country home security firm is entering a new era as construction is completed of its state-of-the-art headquarters reaches completion.
Builder Stoford Developments has announced work on the £10m site has been finished and Willenhall-based ERA will now be able to start moving in.
ERA’s 135,625 sq ft research & development, manufacturing and distribution HQ at the i54 business park brings together three existing facilities in the West Midlands.
These sites in Willenhall, Wolverhampton and Coventry – where it employs a total of around 150 people – will all be relocated to the new hub. Construction work started in January and the building reached practical completion last month.
The new HQ sits alongside existing i54 companies including Jaguar Land Rover, aerospace company Moog and stamp producer ISP.
ERA, a lockmaker that can trace its roots in Willenhall back nearly two centuries, has grown to become a UK leader locks, security hardware and electronics and is now at the forefront of developing ‘smart’ home security technology.
Dan Gallagher, joint managing director of Birmingham-based Stoford Developments, which delivered the building, said: ““The completion of this impressive new headquarters is an important milestone for ERA, providing a platform for future success, and one that we are proud to have been a part of.”
He added: "i54 has brought considerable investment to the area and has led to the creation of a great number of jobs. Located within an Enterprise Zone and with direct access to the M54, it is a key strategic site with a number of major occupiers manufacturing and transporting goods across the country.”
ERA chief executive Darren Waters said: “i54 is an outstanding business location with excellent transport links. Our brand-new home is a great fit with our long-term business strategy and will help to differentiate our brand, both as an innovative supplier and leading employer.
"The new site will be home to our state-of-the-art R&D, manufacturing, product development, test and training facilities, plus a fantastic customer suite which will showcase the entire ERA Total Security portfolio.
“In an increasingly threatening world, security is becoming more complex. One device can’t make a home safe – it takes the right combination of hardware and smart technology. Through knowledge built over 180 years and cutting-edge product innovation, ERA has the range and expertise to bring total security to any living space.”
Staffordshire County Council's economy leader, Councillor Mark Winnington, said: “i54 South Staffordshire is now renowned for leading global business and innovation. ERA has a proud industrial heritage and is now a leading player in home security products. The move to its new HQ will allow the company to continue to expand and innovate in modern, purpose-built facilities.
“Stoford is delivering a number of job boosting schemes across the Midlands and the completion of ERA’s facility is a major milestone. ERA’s addition to i54 South Staffordshire brings more innovation, jobs and investment to the area.”
Pension fund clients of Aberdeen Standard Investments funded the £10 million HQ, with the land purchased from Staffordshire County Council.
Roger Annis, fund manager at Aberdeen Standard investments, said: “With direct access to the M54 and the growing list of blue chip occupiers, i54 is now a key component in the flourishing Midlands industrial conurbation. We are delighted to reach the completion of this high quality facility which will provide our clients with a long term, sustainable income stream and allow ERA, which has a long heritage in UK manufacturing dating back to 1838, to continue to thrive in a modern, purpose built and flexible facility. We look forward to working with them for many years to come.”
