Australian rail firm picks West Midlands for expansion plans

An Australian rail technology company has opened its first European branch in Worcestershire with support from regional development agency Advantage West Midlands. Inward investment specialists worked with Frauscher Selectrail both in the West Midlands and in Australia as the company looked to expand into the UK. Frauscher Selectrail is a joint venture between Australian company Selectrix and Austrian firm Frauscher GmbH. Selectrix, based in Thomastown, Victoria, also has offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Auckland. The company’s products and services are directed towards the

international railway signalling industry. When the company decided to expand into the UK and European markets, a deal was signed with their Austrian counterparts and bosses in Australia began negotiations with Advantage West Midlands inward investment advisers at their Melbourne offices.

As a result, the company has opened an office at Bromsgrove Technology Park with a view to future expansion as it gains a foothold in the European market. Advantage West Midlands is responsible for securing investment from overseas into the region and has over the last three years, created or safeguarded more than 11,000 jobs as a result of foreign investment. The Agency invests in a series of overseas offices to handle enquires about investment opportunities, including the Melbourne office.
The development Bromsgrove Technology Park was itself funded by Advantage West Midlands which is transforming the former UEF site into a 24-acre £50 million complex which will eventually create 700 jobs. Mike Strike, who is running the UK operation, said the West Midlands had been chosen primarily because of its central location. He said: “We looked at a number of places as the base of our operations but the inward investment people operating out of Melbourne helped to convince us that the West Midlands was the place for us to start out.

“While this is a one-man operation at the moment, this is the first step and we are looking to make expansion in the future as we make more progress into this market. “We have already started to make excellent inroads with our business and we are grateful for the support Advantage West Midlands has offered us in helping us get established here.” Robbie Beak, Advantage West Midlands business projects manager, said: “Australia is one of the markets we are working hard on securing inward investment from.
“We have strong selling points given our central location which gives access to both London and northern England, we have a high skills base and the cost of doing business is up to 25 per cent cheaper than in the south-east. “Frauscher Selectrail have recognised this and chosen Bromsgrove and they are just the kind of company we are looking to attract. “Although these are early days, we are optimistic they have a bright future in our region.”