Thurston Group will create 55 jobs in East Yorkshire after confirming a multi-million-pound investment in a new purpose-built factory at its Ottringham site.

The engineering-led manufacturer is building a 1,250-square-metre Engineered Solutions facility — about 13,000 square feet — for its most technically demanding work. Groundworks began on 1 October 2026, and the plant is expected to be operational in the first half of 2027.

The new factory will produce blast-resistant buildings, toxic refuges, battery and electrolyser enclosures, control housings and bespoke containerised systems for customers in energy, hydrogen, oil and gas, data centres, utilities, rail and defence. Thurston says the investment will increase its specialist manufacturing capability by 158 per cent, and it is developing the Ottringham site towards annual output of more than £40 million.

New owners back growth after rescue

The investment is backed by GCH Corporation, the industrial group that acquired Thurston out of administration in December 2025, saving more than 200 of the company’s roughly 275 jobs. GCH has since invested across the business’s manufacturing operations, infrastructure and equipment, alongside a refreshed brand.

Cassie Hutchings, founder and chief executive of GCH Corporation, said: “Creating 55 jobs at Ottringham is a tangible expression of that commitment.”

Matt Goff, group managing director at Thurston Group, said: “Against a challenging economic backdrop, we’re continuing to invest for growth. This facility will give our team greater capacity to deliver specialist engineering and manufacturing here in East Yorkshire, serving customers in sectors critical to the UK’s future.”

What the new roles will involve

The 55 roles are tied to the new facility, which is still under construction, and Thurston has not yet published a list of individual vacancies, salaries or an application deadline. Recruitment is expected to follow as the plant nears completion in the first half of 2027, and jobseekers should watch Thurston Group’s own website for the roles as they are advertised.

Thurston, founded in 1970, is an engineering-led manufacturing partner for modular and portable buildings, with sites at Horbury, Catfoss and Ottringham in Yorkshire. The Ottringham investment extends its established modular manufacturing work into more specialist structures, including buildings designed to protect people and house critical equipment in hazardous or regulated locations.

The jobs are a boost for the Humber region, where energy, hydrogen and data-centre work is driving demand for the kind of specialist fabrication the new plant will provide.

The new plant will house some of the company’s most technically complex operations, including explosion-proof buildings that shelter personnel on industrial sites and enclosures for hydrogen and battery storage systems.