Thousands of Jobs Secured at Leonardo Helicopters Following £435m Investment
Thousands of jobs at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil have been secured after a £435 million investment from its Italian parent company. The funding, announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during a visit to Italy earlier this week, will be distributed across the company’s UK sites.
A portion of the investment has already been utilised in Yeovil, where a £30 million warehouse recently opened. Speaking about the funding, Clive Higgins, CEO of Leonardo UK, called it a "vote of confidence for Yeovil." He emphasised that a significant portion of the investment will directly benefit the town.
“We talk about growth, prosperity, and highly-skilled jobs. Some of that is right here in Yeovil, with over 180 apprentices and graduates joining programmes,” Higgins said.
Leonardo's Yeovil site employs 3,000 people, and supports an additional 12,500 jobs through its supply chain, according to Higgins. The funding is expected to secure highly-skilled engineering positions and enhance the company’s manufacturing technology and sustainability efforts.
The investment also strengthens Leonardo’s position to secure new export orders and positions the company as the sole bidder for a Ministry of Defence contract worth up to £1 billion.
This latest development is a major boost for the local economy and reinforces Yeovil’s role as a key hub for aviation manufacturing in the UK.