Severn Drives & Energy (SDE), a clean energy and engineering firm backed by growth capital investor BGF, has expanded into the US with a new 30,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in New Berlin, Wisconsin. This expansion is expected to triple SDE's US workforce over the next two to three years and aims to boost turnover from £10m to £50m.

Founded in 2010, SDE provides repair and maintenance services for critical infrastructure at wind farms in the UK and Ireland, serving clients like EDF, Scottish Power Renewables, E.ON, and SSE. The US expansion follows significant funding from BGF, secured a year ago, and the appointment of Jon Addis as non-executive chairman through BGF's Talent Network.

Jonathan Jones, SDE's CEO, expressed excitement about strengthening the company's US presence and expanding into other international markets. He credited BGF for their pivotal role in this growth and highlighted the strategic addition of Jon Addis to the team.

BGF investor Alex Garfitt praised SDE for its role in supporting global renewable energy infrastructure. He noted that the new US base allows SDE to transition from making parts to manufacturing complete systems, addressing complex technological challenges in the sector. Garfitt emphasized the company's strong growth prospects and BGF's commitment to helping businesses scale internationally.

Jon Addis, an experienced chair and private equity adviser, formerly group CFO at UK Power Reserve, expressed enthusiasm about supporting SDE's global decarbonization efforts and working with the team to realize the company's potential.