With an increasingly busy order book and an enthusiastic commitment to a sustainable future, Spanish train manufacturer CAF is enjoying the advantages of building its UK plant in South Wales.
After choosing Newport ahead of more than 100 other potential sites around the UK, the head of UK operations says Wales is where they now feel at home.
Business backstory
CAF’s orders have quicky got back on track after the COVID pandemic, and now business is thriving.
“Our future market is very positive,” said a company spokesperson. “We’ve got lots of orders across the UK – not just more orders in volume, but also in the scope of the work.
“There’s a lot of activity going on in the plant, and it shows how our decision to bring CAF to the UK, and specifically Newport, has given us a huge advantage.”
While the company continues to build its operations at the Celtic Business Park site, it is also looking to the longer-term future with a firm commitment to sustainability.
The Newport facility is a digital factory, which means cutting paper use to a minimum. By switching to tablets, staff have access to real-time data – which not only helps operationally but also reduces the plant’s carbon footprint.
And looking after the workforce is another vital part of that commitment to the future. Work-life balance is very important to the company. That means some people work from home, some work part-time, and for those working on site, there’s a commitment to find ways to give people the best balance between work and home life.
“We have an active social value programme,” CAF says. “We are working with local food banks and charities. We encourage our workforce to be involved - it’s about giving something back, but also it really empowers the workforce.
“We were very fortunate to be able to recruit such talented people, and over the past few years we have invested in further developing that talent, especially in some of the specific technical skills we need”.
With top-class universities and other training providers close at hand, CAF has helped staff progress through HNCs, HNDs and even engineering degrees. And training also takes wellbeing into account through courses including mental health first aid.
Why Wales
CAF chose Newport from more than 100 potential sites around the UK for four main reasons:
- Infrastructure – there are excellent road and rail links and ports close by.
- Skills – with similar high-value manufacturing industries already in the area, CAF could be confident there was a good source of talent.
- Training – a Russell Group university a few miles away, other universities and colleges close at hand, and a range of training providers locally, mean there’s a wealth of opportunity to upskill the workforce.
- Suppliers – with similar industries in the area, there’s an established potential supply chain locally, meaning lower transport costs and environmental impact.
CAF’s decision to choose Wales has not only been a success commercially. The company has found it relates well to the Welsh way of doing things. “After establishing the site, we soon became aware of Wales’ approach to social partnership, and that very much fits with the DNA of the company. We feel at home here.”
Welsh Government
Support from Welsh Government was vital in helping CAF establish itself in Wales, and it continues to help as the company grows here.
“Working with Welsh Government has been seamless,” the company says. “In the early days it was about building that relationship because we weren’t sure what we would need. But when we did need support, then it was there for us”.
Initially, that involved setting up supplier days and recruitment days, introducing CAF to the people and other companies which could help it develop and thrive here.
Now, thanks to that support, the Newport site is continuing to grow. CAF is now bidding for several new contracts, and with Welsh Government support, they’re confident they will win most of them.
“Our advice for any business considering South Wales is that you will find a team that is small and compact but can meet all your needs – whether that’s a certain size of land that you need or certain access, or the universities you need. All of it is here and you won’t have to deal with many partners – one partner will be able to coordinate all of that activity.”
