Global fall protection leader Latchways hosted local MP and Minister for Rail Claire Perry at a recent open day at its HQ in Devizes. The company was showcasing its renowned approach to engineering and its commitment to development and nurturing local talent.
Latchways is responsible for fall protection systems at many famous buildings across the world including New York’s Grand Central Station, the new Doha airport in Qatar and the Olympic Stadium, London.
“Latchways here in Devizes will become a centre of excellence for engineered fall protection systems,” announced chief operating officer Gavan Duff. “The innovation here will be used as a springboard to accelerate growth both in employment and market share. We will be adding 17 new products to our portfolio in the next 12-18 months which really complement the MSA range to satisfy customer needs.”
At the heart of Latchways global success is its New Product Development Centre headed by Karl Jones. From the facilities in Hopton Park the multiple award-winning Personal Rescue Device (PRD) has been designed, developed, tested and manufactured to produce the world’s first fall arrest and self-rescue system.
“We pride ourselves on innovating and breaking new ground in engineering fall protection solutions,” explained Jones.
“We specialise in ‘technology transfer’, learning from the high-tech worlds such as F1 and aerospace and translate that into providing game-changing fall protection.”
Claire Perry was making her first visit to Latchways.
“It’s exciting to discover that we’re manufacturing products here in Devizes that are then installed and used to protect people working at height across the world,” she commented. “It’s really encouraging to see apprenticeships offered in engineering by a company that has such a bright future.”
www.latchways.com
