East Lancashire paper company in £30m expansion (From Lancashire Telegraph)

East Lancashire paper company in £30m expansion

12:25pm Friday 14th September 2012 in News

GLEAMING Accrol headquarters and, inset, managing director Majid Hussain

CONSTRUCTION starts next week on a £30million expansion of one of East Lancashire’s fastest growing companies which will create 100 new jobs over the next two years.

Accrol Papers is to spend £10million demolishing one of its existing units on its Roman Road/Davyfield Road site and replacing it with a new manufacturing facility.

The work is part of a plan to dramatically boost its current production of one million toilet rolls and 500,000 kitchen rolls a day.

When the work is finished in six months, the firm hopes to employ another 50 workers on top of its existing 200.

A second stage proposes to expand another unit on the site at a cost of £20million, bringing another 50 new jobs and pushing the workforce up to 300 by 2014.

The expansion follows the opening of a new £6million factory on the site in March by business minister Baroness Wilcox.

Current negotiations with several supermarket chains to buy Accrol products for their own label ranges could further boost growth.

Founded by Jawid Hussain in Accrington in 1993, the family firm has grown rapidly moving into Roman Road in 2004. It has consistently expanded seeing turnover increase from £18million in 2008 to £63million in 2012 and profits rise from £500,000 a year to £7.5million.

As well as providing own brand products for discount and middle market stores, Accrol is investing in its own brands including Triple Softy toilet paper and Thirsty Bubbles kitchen roll. Commercial director Tim Bullough said: “This is part of a rapid, continuing and sustainable expansion by the company.

“We did look at buying another site but that fell through so we expanded here instead. We are spending £10million demolishing and rebuilding an existing unit.

“Work starts next week and will take five to six months. It will create 50 new jobs and we plan to spend £20million expanding another unit creating 50 further jobs.

“The company is also in talks with a number of supermarkets regarding supplying their own brand labels.”

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