Mystery surrounds a requirement from the Nasdaq-listed fibre optics giant FiberCore for a £38 million European manufacting plant in Merseyside.
The fast-growing Massachusetts-based optical fibre business has been in preliminary talks with Liverpool council, but the developers of two sites said to be on FiberCores shortlist for a new European manufacturing complex say they that have had no contact with the company. The company is also understood to be considering sites in Dublin.
FiberCore is said to be considering both Arrowcroft Northwests 60 ha (148-acre) Axis business park and Speke-Garston Development Companys 40 ha (99-acre) Estuary Commerce Park, both of which are in Liverpool, but both developers deny any knowledge of the requirement.
A spokesman for Speke-Garston Development Company said: “Obviously we would be delighted to speak to them.”
A spokesman for Liverpool council said: “We have had an approach from FiberCore but it is at a very early stage. We are not as far as business plans or grant applications and we certainly have not identified any sites. We are awaiting further information.”
Bob Sebesto, FiberCores vice president for sales and marketing, said: “At this time we are in the exploratory stage of where to locate our new factories and are unable to provide any additional information until a final decision is made on their exact locations.”
Last week, FiberCore won a new $23m (£16.4m) European contract which will be supplied from the companys German production plant. The companys business has continued to grow despite a softening in the global market for multimode fibre.
EGi News 28/06/01
