A COMPANY which manufactures car body shells and components is set to start production at the former MG Rover factory in Longbridge, creating up to 450 new jobs.

The epm technology group will take over the North Works factory site, making it the world's leading producer of lightweight automotive body shells when production lines open in February.

Around 150 jobs will be in place by the end of next year, but that is expected to rise to 450.

The North Works site will be leased to epm by regional development agency Advantage West Midlands.

Epm managing director Graham Mulholland said: "The 100,000 square feet Longbridge site will enable us to meet the growing expectations of automotive customers worldwide who are increasingly turning to composite materials as an effective way to reduce the weight of their vehicles, improve fuel economy and meet environmental targets.

"This investment, which is one of the largest automotive composite projects ever to be undertaken by a private company, will help to hasten a new dawn for Longbridge, generating new business, deploying the very latest technology and creating new jobs for the area."

John Edwards, chief executive of Advantage West Midlands, said: "This is absolutely fantastic news for the region as a whole.

"Companies such as epm are exactly the sort we want to attract to this part of the region."

The firm counts Bentley, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and many Formula 1 motorsport teams among its customers.