A WORCESTER company has opened a £500,000 quality facility that is unique to the British boiler market.

Worcester Bosch's facility includes a product-life testing unit in which boilers are run continuously for 12 months to provide the equivalent of 10 years in an average customer's home.

The 1,000 square metre facility is situated at the Bosch UK headquarters, in Cotswold Way, Warndon.

It was officially opened by Dr Joachim Berner, senior vice- president for parent company Bosch Thermotechnik, in Wernau, Germany.

"The purpose of the investment is to provide our customers with products and services which fully justify our well publicised claim that 'excellence comes as standard'," said Dr Berner.

"Eliminating errors and improving the reliability of products will provide a significant competitive advantage as well as very satisfied customers."

Richard Soper, managing director of Worcester Bosch, said it was appropriate that in the company's 40th year of business, it could reaffirm its ongoing commitment to improving quality standards with such a bold statement of intent.

"This gives real, long-term security to our improving position in the UK market and a real sense of pride to our employees about making a difference," he said.

"These measures are not mandatory, we didn't have to create this state-of-the-art facility to meet legislation - it's simply about the Bosch culture of innovation and excellence and our people are really warming to it."