NUMATIC International - maker of the Henry vacuum cleaner - has bought a former Oscar Mayer site in Chard.

The firm has announced the purchase of a seven-acre site on the Millfield Road Industrial Estate.

The sale, adjacent to the main Numatic operation, has come at a particularly opportune time as the organisation needs to substantially scale up its capacity to meet increasing domestic and overseas demand.

"The plan will be to construct a dedicated state-of-the-art production operation for the Henry vacuum range with raw materials entering at one end and finished products leaving at the other," said a spokesperson for property consultants JLL, who represented Oscar Mayer in the sale.

"This operation will utilise the entire site and require an investment of £30million, leading to the creation of valuable employment opportunities in the town.

"We are hopeful that planning consent will be forthcoming without delay so that the demolition of the existing buildings can be commenced, and construction of the new facility started as soon as possible."

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At the end of last year, Oscar Mayer announced it was leaving Somerset completely.

The Furnham Road site, once home to more than 800 workers, later went on the market, with its future uncertain. 

But the Millfield premises will once again become part of a strong Somerset brand.

Katie Fowler, of JLL, added: "We are delighted to have concluded the sale with Numatic International on behalf of our client.

"This transaction will undoubtedly unlock further economic growth for the company, town and region.

"JLL is actively searching to find an alternative operator to take on Oscar Mayer’s premises at Furnham Road."