Smith & Nephew has announced it has revised plans to leave Hull after almost 170 years in the city.
In 2022, the global medical company announced it would move all its Hull-based operations to a nearby facility in Melton. Those plans would have ended the firm’s long history in the city where it has been based since 1856.
However, the company has now revealed it plans to retain some operations at its Hull site as well as building a new facility in Melton.
Manufacturing will be shared across the two sites, with some finished goods continuing to be made in Hull. The new Melton facility will focus on intermediates, which are materials used in the production of finished goods, and a major new production line for foam dressings.
Hull will also continue to be the home of the company’s global Advanced Wound Management R&D team and provide office space for global functional teams based locally. The Hull facility will be updated with detailed work undertaken to assess requirements.
The decision has been made following a significant increase in the cost of the 2022 proposals caused by inflation and supply chain issues.
As well as being significant locally, the company is a recognised name both nationally and internationally due to its £10-billion market value and being part of the FTSE 100, the UK’s biggest 100 companies.
Costantino Cagimanolis, Senior Vice President, Advanced Wound Management Operations at Smith & Nephew, who is based at the Hull site, said: “We are delighted that we can now move forward and deliver against our current and future business requirements for the Advanced Wound Management business, securing Smith & Nephew’s long-term future in the region and continuing to develop, innovate and launch new products, in line with our AWM vision to shape what is possible in wound care.”
Smith & Nephew says its level of investment remains unchanged, at more than $100m (around £80m), and the revision is not expected to affect the number of roles at the company. The firm expects to complete planning for the revised Melton facility in 2025, with operations aiming to begin in 2027.
