Building contractor selected for AME Centre
Tuesday 23 September 2025
Building work on West Suffolk Council’s advanced manufacturing and engineering centre will begin this winter.
Building contractor, Pentaco Construction, has been selected to construct the state-of-the-art AME centre in Bury St Edmunds.
Designed to support startup businesses, the AME Centre will deliver 17 flexible, self-contained workshop units, as well as shared meeting and conference spaces. By filling a critical market gap, this centre will boost economic resilience, enable sustainable development, close skills shortages, and maintain Suffolks competitive edge in the advanced manufacturing sector.
The centre will foster innovation and business start-ups, capitalising in our area’s existing strengths in advanced manufacturing and supporting an active network of businesses.
Funding for the centre is coming from West Suffolk Council and Enterprise Zone funding, endorsed by Suffolk County Council and the Suffolk Business Board.
Planning permission for the AME Centre was secured at the West Suffolk Development Control Committee in July.
Pentaco Construction, said: “We’re both proud and excited to be delivering the AME Centre in partnership with West Suffolk Council. A great project in which we can help shape a future-ready facility that will serve as a catalyst for growth across the region.”
Cllr Indy Wijenayaka, Cabinet Member for Growth at West Suffolk Council, said: “I am delighted to have Pentaco on board to build the AME Centre, the first of its kind in the area.
“The AME Centre promises to play a transformative role in sustainable growth for the local economy, supporting new and existing businesses to grow and creating opportunities for skills, training and employment for the benefit of our local communities.
“Delivering the AME Centre also comes at a time where Advanced Manufacturing has been identified in the government’s Industrial Strategy as a key sector to support economic growth in the UK.
“I look forward to seeing the AME Centre start to take shape as construction gets underway and welcoming the first tenants when the centre opens in the near future.”