Hubbard Products, the Otley - Ipswich, based manufacturer of commercial and transport refrigeration systems, has announced plans to relocate its research, development and manufacturing facilities to a prestigious 50,000sq ft site at Europark, Ipswich.

After 42 years at its current home in Otley, north of Ipswich, the company will be moving its 165-strong workforce in phases, from November 2015 to January 2016.

Chief executive, Pat Maughan, said: “Our Otley site has been a good home to us for nearly half a century. We will be sorry to be leaving. However, our success at developing innovative refrigeration solutions in collaboration with some of the UK’s best-known retailers and developers of zero carbon technology means that we have outgrown the site. Fortunately, we have been able to find a new location that will allow our most important asset, our staff, to move with us.”

He continued: “The new site is well-placed for transport links alongside the A14 for UK wide access and within minutes of the main East Coast container ports that service our increasing export sales to North America, Europe and Asia. The Europark location offers us the opportunity to reorganise and update our future manufacturing systems to suit our growing ambitions and technical requirements. This development will enable us to respond promptly and precisely to the changing needs of the global markets we sell to.”

The company will occupy a group of three units consisting of over 46,500sq ft of manufacturing and storage facility and an additional 3,000sq ft of administrative, sales and marketing suites.

Hubbard Products is a holder of the Bronze, Suffolk Carbon Charter award.