A HOUSING manufacturer is looking to invest in the North-East creating a new site and dozens of skilled jobs.

CoreHaus, based in Newton Aycliffe, recently appointed Scott Bibby as project director to lead the plans to find a suitable factory unit – likely to be in County Durham or the surrounding area – to begin the manufacture of modular homes which have already been successfully built and trialled in the region.

Mr Bibby, 34, who joined the company after four years as production manager at Hitachi Rail, will recruit a small core team initially before developing commercial partnerships to drive sales in the new product.

The Northern Echo:

Recruitment has started for a production manager and engineer, with the company expecting to recruit more than a dozen technicians, apprentices and admin staff within the first 12 months.

The five-year plan will see CoreHaus producing 1,000 modular homes a year, which will result in more than 100 people working across the business.

CoreHaus is a joint-venture company between Carlton & Co Group, the parent company behind North-East based Homes by Carlton, and national social enterprise Fusion21, specialists in public procurement for the built environment.

Mr Bibby said: “We already know there is interest and demand for our innovative product. The housing sector is screaming out for something that’s both affordable and incorporates high-quality design within a modular frame.

“The concept was successfully piloted with Homes by Carlton at their Cathedral Gates site in County Durham and we are now looking to work together on other new housing developments across the region.

“We’re also talking to housing associations about the product. Several have already told us they love the flexible, high-quality nature of the product. It is quick to build, easy to adapt and has a low-carbon footprint.”

Due to the nature of its build, CoreHaus will adopt a different production methodology to most housebuilding.

Technicians will be needed in the new factory who have engineering qualifications and are agile at problem solving in a technical environment.

Mr Bibby added: “Our production and designs draw on technical skills and innovation. We will be looking to recruit people from different industries to create a diverse workforce with a growth mindset.

"We need engineering skills and construction experience combined to succeed and have a real opportunity to break the current mould."