AUTOMOTIVE manufacturer Rosti McKechnie Ltd is to create up to new 200 jobs in Pickering after winning a new long-term contract.

The company, which employs more than 700 people at its bases at Stamford Bridge and Pickering, including 400 at Pickering, has signed a long-term strategic agreement with an automotive partner to develop key components for several new vehicle models up to 2017 and beyond.

To accommodate this growth, it has said it would need to invest in new machinery and processes, along with building a new storage and logistics facility on the current site.

Work will start shortly on recruiting the new staff, who will join in 2014.

John Woodhead, plant director at Pickering, said: “This is fantastic news for the company.

“The investment planned can only be positive for the loyal workforce we have, while creating further opportunities in the area.

“The local community has been very supportive of our business over the years and that support will again be vital as we embark on this latest development.”

The company will hold a public exhibition at Pickering Memorial Hall on Saturday, March 16, 2.30pm to 6pm, at which it will explain the proposed changes at the Rosti McKechnie site in Pickering, including the new storage building that will be the subject of a forthcoming planning application.

People will be able to give their comments and discuss how to apply for the new jobs.

The business, previously known as McKechnie Plastic Components, has traded from the Westgate Carr Road facility in Pickering since 1969, in partnership with customers like Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, Plastic Omnium and Hewlett Packard.

The injection moulding business was sold for £30.7 million to the £240 million-turnover Swedish company Rosti Group last year, after increasing turnover to about £75 million.