The Suffolk factory making the 'shells' that house the UK's warehouses and data centres
You may never have heard of insulated sandwich panels, but chances are you have been inside a building that depends on them. Now they are being made just outside Stowmarket.
Why it matters: Assan Panel, part of Turkish industrial group Kibar Holding, officially opened its first UK manufacturing facility at Gateway 14 near Stowmarket on Wednesday, 11 June, marking a £45 million investment that will create 105 skilled jobs in Suffolk.
What they make: Insulated sandwich panels are, in simple terms, a high-performance protective shell for buildings. They form the walls and roofs of warehouses, logistics centres, food production sites, cold storage facilities, data centres and hospitals — the kind of structures that underpin everyday life, from next-day deliveries to the servers that power the internet.
The panels improve energy efficiency, reduce heating and cooling requirements and support faster construction. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, buildings and construction account for around one third of global energy demand and more than one third of energy-related carbon emissions.
By the numbers: The Gateway 14 facility has the capacity to produce up to 4.5 million square metres of insulated panels each year — enough to supply around 450 large warehouses, factories or distribution centres annually, or cover more than 630 football pitches.
Why Suffolk? Gateway 14, located within Freeport East, offers strong transport links and proximity to the Port of Felixstowe — the UK's busiest container port — providing direct access to domestic and international markets. The site also gives Assan Panel access to skilled local talent and key supply routes.
Ihsan Tolga Akar, managing director of Assan Panel UK, said: "The opening of our first UK manufacturing facility is a major step for Assan Panel and Kibar Holding. The UK is an important strategic market for our business, and this investment allows us to manufacture closer to our customers, strengthen supply chains and support customers as they invest in the next generation of industrial and commercial buildings.
"We are proud to be creating skilled jobs in Suffolk and contributing to the next generation of industrial and commercial buildings that will support economic growth across the UK."
What they're saying: Daniel Zeichner MP, UK trade envoy to Türkiye, said the investment was "exactly the kind of high-quality, forward-looking investment we want to see, supporting advanced manufacturing, strengthening supply chains, and contributing to a more sustainable built environment."
Steve Beel, chief executive of Freeport East, said the opening was "a major vote of confidence in Suffolk and in Freeport East," adding that projects like this were helping establish the area as "a growing centre for advanced manufacturing, innovation and international trade."
The bigger picture: Assan Panel exports to more than 85 countries and has a global production capacity of 22 million square metres a year across facilities in Türkiye, Jordan and Azerbaijan. The Suffolk plant is the company's fourth manufacturing site and its first outside its existing markets.
Haluk Kayabaşı, group chief executive of Kibar Holding, said: "With an investment of £45 million, Assan Panel is now positioned to serve the United Kingdom and neighbouring markets with direct access and significant logistical advantages."
What's next: Assan Panel says it plans to develop partnerships with local suppliers, colleges, universities and training providers as part of its long-term ambitions for the UK business.
The bottom line: A product most people have never heard of is now being manufactured on Suffolk's doorstep, and the buildings it creates are the backbone of modern industry. For Suffolk, the factory represents 105 new skilled jobs and a significant vote of confidence in the county as a destination for international manufacturing investment.
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