Early last year Baxi Heating announced that it would be moving its Heatrae Sadia manufacturing activities from Norwich to Preston. The relocation is well underway, with many processes already set up, and manufacturing of electric hot water products and hot water storage cylinders is taking place at the Preston site.

Over the last few months Baxi Heating has been in negotiations with Lotus Cars after the Norfolk-based sports car manufacturer expressed an interest in the site at Norwich. The company has now announced that Lotus Cars will transfer its aluminium chassis manufacturing to the site, with a phased joint occupation with Heatrae Sadia from 1 July 2020, through to the end of Q1 2021 when it will take over full occupancy.

Lotus Cars has also indicated that it will be looking to recruit for various positions and that there will be opportunities for Heatrae Sadia employees to apply to work for the famous car manufacturer.

David Pinder, chief executive of Baxi Heating, said: “This is good news for the local community in Norwich, and continues the manufacturing heritage of the area. We are also very pleased that there could be employment opportunities at this prestigious local company for our Heatrae Sadia colleagues who are not making the move to Preston.”

Heatrae Sadia is a market-leading manufacturer of electric hot water products such as Megaflo eco hot water storage cylinders and Multipoint electric water heaters. Most recently, it has supplied hand washing products for some of the temporary hospitals set up under the coronavirus emergency. In January 2019, parent company Baxi Heating announced that manufacturing activities would be moved to the company’s larger site in Preston, Lancashire, so the business could prepare for the many challenges and opportunities that are presented by the UK’s heating market.