The Ebac Group will mark the official opening of its new factory and the launch of its Norfrost chest freezer range with a special event, featuring former CBI Director General Lord Digby Jones and a debate on the future of manufacturing.
As well as taking part in a ceremony to launch the factory and the Norfrost by Ebac range, Lord Jones will take part in the special debate, in front of an audience of business figures.
Alongside Lord Jones and Ebac Managing Director Pamela Petty, the debate will feature the new North East regional director for the EEF – The Manufacturers’ Organisation, Liz Mayes, and Dr Jon Helliwell, director of the Centre for Process Innovation, and will be chaired by Graham Robb, North East Chairman of the Institute of Directors.
Ebac bought the Norfrost brand and equipment in 2013, and has set up the new factory, on Heighington Lane, Aycliffe Business Park, to breathe new life into the popular brand. The freezers are already available to buy through Argos and Amazon.
Lord Jones will be returning to Ebac for the first time since filming BBC2’s The New Troubleshooter, when he worked with Ebac to establish the new line.
The team’s firm belief that the brand’s popularity made it a strong product to re-launch was backed up by the high volumes of positive online reviews of the products and other research it had conducted. Additionally, hand-written letters of support from members of the public have been sent to the County Durham firm since the TV appearance, while business people from across the country have also flooded the company with messages backing the project.
Pamela Petty, Managing Director of Ebac, said: “The event will mark a major milestone in the Ebac Group, as well as in UK manufacturing, with the return to production of a very popular brand of appliance. These are very exciting times for Ebac and it is fantastic that Digby has chosen to come back and help us to celebrate.
“With the return of domestically manufactured chest freezers to the UK and our washing machine production facility set to be up and running soon, we feel it is a very interesting time to have the debate on the future of manufacturing. Here in the UK, we need to be making more things, whether that is high tech or low tech, high volume goods, but it will be interesting to hear what the rest of the panel think.”
By combining all of the features which continue to make Norfrost a much-loved brand with Ebac’s eye for quality products which last, the company is confident of a successful future, but continues to listen to the public.
Photo: Lord Digby Jones with Pamela Petty, Managing Director of Ebac
