The opening of a new technology centre in Edenbridge welcomed a number of special guests.

Chartwell Technology Centre was officially opened by Tonbridge and Malling MP, Tom Tugendhat, and Sevenoaks MP and Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Fallon.

More than 30 visitors were present to celebrate the event, including representatives from Sevenoaks District Council, Kent Fire and Rescue Service and Sevenoaks Chamber of Commerce.

Several keynote speeches were delivered on the theme of investing in skills and technology before a tour of the facility gave guests the chance to see building energy management systems (BMS) that the business designs, fabricates, installs and maintains.

Chartwell, established in Westerham in 2009, now employs 30 staff on environmental and security solutions for projects, such as the Battersea Power station development.

The firm has now taken on three full-time apprentices.

Mr Fallon said: “I’m delighted and proud to open these new premises. Chartwell is exactly the kind of growing high-tech company that we need here in Kent to create new, high value jobs. I wish Chartwell every success in winning new project work at home and abroad.”

In the manufacturing and testing areas, guests got up close with the control units that form part of the Battersea Power Station redevelopment.

A demonstration enabled Mr Fallon and Mr Tugendhat to get hands on and see how changing temperatures at sensors automatically switched on cooling equipment.

Paul Coker, managing director at the Chartwell group: “When we started out, we had a design office in Westerham and a workshop in Redhill but we soon outgrew them. The facility you see here is the culmination of a two year project and nearly half a million pounds of investment.

"It’s a purpose-built base that brings our engineering design and manufacturing departments together under one roof."

Chartwell’s commitment to skills, quality and advanced technology was underlined in an address by Trend Controls, a leading supplier of BMS components.

Darryl Gregory from Trend said: “We’ve had the pleasure of watching this business grow from strength to strength. We look from the outside in and we believe this growth is down to their commitment to quality and their investment in their people."