A US multinational is relocating all its professional mower manufacturing to Ipswich.

Ipswich Star: A Jacobsen mower in action Picture: ALEX BAXTERA Jacobsen mower in action Picture: ALEX BAXTER (Image: Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd)

Textron has announced it will be bringing all its Jacobsen production to its UK facility at Ransomes Jacobsen, which is based in Ransomes Europark and employs more than 240 people.

The town has a strong mower manufacturing heritage through Ransomes, and the move will be seen as a big boost for the town.

It will mean that the Ipswich factory – which currently builds Jacobsen and Ransomes mowers – will make mowers for all the multinational’s sales regions, including North America.

MORE – Lawn and order star Jimmy the Mower visits IpswichMeanwhile Jacobsen will maintain its sales and customer care teams in North America, and its network of North American distributors, which serve customers in the United States and Canada.

Ipswich Star: Textron turf vice president Simon Rainger and Gunnar Kleveland, president and chief executive of Textron Specialized Vehicles Picture: ALEX BAXTERTextron turf vice president Simon Rainger and Gunnar Kleveland, president and chief executive of Textron Specialized Vehicles Picture: ALEX BAXTER (Image: Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd)

The move – aimed at making operations more efficient and expand on the historic legacy of the Ipswich site – is set to begin this autumn and be completed in stages over several months.

The company said the move would enable it to “focus its investments, skill, and improvements in mower production on a single facility, and leverage existing resources and expertise at its Ipswich facility”.

The Ipswich plant is the oldest manufacturer of motorised lawn mowers in the world, dating back more than 187 years.

Simon Rainger, vice president of Turf for Textron Specialized Vehicles said: “We are excited to establish our Ipswich, UK, facility as the worldwide manufacturing centre of excellence for Jacobsen equipment.

Ipswich Star: Mowers lined up at the Ransomes Jacobsen factory in Ipswich Picture: RANSOMES JACOBSENMowers lined up at the Ransomes Jacobsen factory in Ipswich Picture: RANSOMES JACOBSEN (Image: Archant)

“This move will enable us to operate more efficiently, and expand on the legacy of innovation and quality that our Ipswich plant has built over its long history.”

The Jacobsen brand is due to launch a host of new mowers this year, including the Eclipse 360 ELiTE electric greens mower powered by Samsung SDI lithium-battery technology, and its new AR530 and AR730 contour rotary mowers, which are designed to be safer and more cost-effective to maintain and operate.

Textron is based in the New England city of Providence in Rhode Island in the United States and started out as a small textile company in 1923. It has grown into a multi-industry giant, straddling defence, aviation and industrial products. It employs 35,000 people worldwide across 25 countries.

Jacobsen was formed more than 95 years ago and makes turf care equipment used on high-profile sites around the world.