Plans for Draeger Safety UK to acquire land for a new facility in Northumberland are “progressing well”, according to the head of safety marketing, who spoke to Insider about its strong year.
Earlier this year, the board of Draeger Safety UK, which is part of the Dräger Group, approved plans to acquire land for the site, ensuring its headquarters remain in the North East of England.
David Head explained: “Plans are progressing well, and we are moving ahead in consultation with the wider business to ensure that the selection of a suitable site for a potential new facility in South East Northumberland is conducted in a way that best serves the needs of the UK business over future years.”
He added that the business’ “committed and knowledgeable Blyth staff base is a crucial aspect of this project”.
In 2024, several areas of the business expanded, Head said, including its fixed gas detection systems division which has ” sustained growth following the move of our Pulsar gas detection device production line to Blyth just over a year ago, a move which has been very successful”.
The company is looking to 2025 with a “clear strategy and focus on key areas”.
“One of these is the continued expansion of our service and maintenance offering, and we have recently added to this team as we look to support further growth in 2025.
“Our Air Purifying Respirators (APR) division, which includes products ranging from dust masks to full face masks and powered air purifying respirators, is expected to be another key area for the business in 2025.
“Dräger has some exciting new product development in this area, and we have a wealth of expertise within the Blyth team which is well-positioned to support growth here.”
For Head, the outlook is “clearly not straightforward”, but “safety is simply not an area that can – or should – be compromised”.
He added: “We work hard to support customers in finding the best ways to address their safety equipment needs, and the expansion of our UK rental division, Draeger Hire UK, is a development that we expect to be well-received as businesses increasingly consider more flexible ways of acquiring safety equipment.
“One area that we anticipate will see positive change through the course of the next year is clean and renewable energy. As a business we have long recognised the important role of safety in this industry and have undertaken significant investment to build the expertise and equipment needed to be ready to help businesses in this area.
“We now await broader policy decisions to unlock the future potential for the wide range of industries operating in this sector in the UK.”
