Numatic International is investing more than £85 million across its manufacturing operations in Chard, Somerset, combining factory expansion with new research, distribution and energy infrastructure. The programme centres on a 24,500 sq m expansion of the site and includes a newly opened Research & Development Centre of Excellence, alongside an 8,000-pallet global distribution centre scheduled for completion in spring 2027.
The investment expands the physical base for product development, production and outbound logistics at a site supporting around 1,200 jobs. Numatic reports annual turnover of approximately £260 million and exports products to more than 100 countries, giving the Chard operation an unusually broad international reach for a manufacturer whose core production remains concentrated in the UK.
Energy infrastructure forms a substantial part of the programme. A 2,672-panel solar array has been installed at Chard and is expected to generate up to 30% of the manufacturing site’s electricity requirement. Numatic is also planning additional rooftop solar generation as it works towards supplying 50% of factory electricity from solar power by 2030.
Additional factory space increases room for equipment, product programmes and future capacity, while on site generation gives the business greater control over a cost base exposed to wholesale electricity volatility. The distribution centre adds another operational layer by increasing the amount of finished product that can be handled through the Somerset site before export.
The R&D investment also shortens the route between design work and manufacturing. Numatic designs and engineers products in Britain and has built much of its production model around durable, repairable equipment rather than rapid replacement cycles. Bringing expanded development capability onto the same industrial campus as manufacturing and logistics allows production constraints, material choices and serviceability to be considered earlier in product development.
Materials efficiency already forms part of the company’s production strategy. Numatic has increased its use of recycled plastics and says durability, serviceability and recyclability are central to its product design approach. The company is working to a Science Based Targets initiative verified emissions reduction plan and has set a net zero target for 2050, while the Chard programme adds immediate physical capacity and a larger share of electricity generated behind the meter.
The programme also concentrates research, manufacturing, warehousing and energy generation on the same campus rather than splitting them between separate locations. That arrangement can reduce hand-offs between engineering and production teams, simplify the movement of finished goods into storage and export, and allow future capacity decisions to be made against a clearer view of available power and floor space. The returns from each element will still depend on the others being delivered and utilised as planned.
The distribution centre is intended to support Numatic’s global outbound operation as production expands. An 8,000-pallet facility gives the business additional buffer between factory output and customer dispatch, reducing pressure on existing storage when production runs, export schedules and freight availability do not align. It also places warehousing within the same investment programme as manufacturing rather than treating logistics capacity as a separate downstream constraint.
The investment comes as Numatic marks 45 years of Henry production, which provides a useful indication of the scale and longevity of the Chard manufacturing model. More than one million Henry vacuum cleaners are made each year, and cumulative production has passed 20 million units since the product’s launch in 1981. Maintaining that level of output while broadening professional cleaning ranges places continuing pressure on production flow and warehouse capacity, which the current expansion is intended to address.
Expanding an established manufacturing campus also preserves the workforce, supplier relationships, production knowledge and tooling base accumulated around Chard. The £85 million programme adds capacity without separating new operations from those existing assets, while the R&D centre and energy projects increase the range of functions concentrated at the site.
The newly opened R&D centre, distribution centre due in spring 2027 and planned rooftop solar expansion also give the programme distinct delivery milestones beyond the initial factory expansion.
Exporting into more than 100 markets still leaves Numatic exposed to exchange rates, component availability and international freight conditions, but the company is keeping product engineering, production and a growing share of energy supply under direct operational control. The 8,000-pallet distribution centre is due to provide the next visible milestone in spring 2027, followed by further rooftop solar capacity as the site moves towards its 2030 electricity target.
