A SPECIALIST restoration company is expanding its workforce after completing a major project at historic North-West church.

Darwen Terracotta Limited, founded 19 months ago, produces and installs specialist brownish/orange clay tiles and decorative architectural pieces in buildings across the UK.

It has just completed work at St Catherine’s Parish Church in Horwich, replacing and restoring original terracotta feature suffering from over a hundred years of weathering

The firm is currently in the middle of a contract with the wold-famous Natural History Museum in London having previously worked on the Savoy Hotel and Harrods in the capital.

DTL was refounded by co-owners Jon Wilson and Steve Allen in September 2015 from the remains of the terracotta business previously belonging to Shaws of Darwen Ltd.

Now based on Challenge Way in Whitebirk, Blackburn, the 2017 Hive Business Award winning-firm and had an annual turnover in its first year of £15 million and employs 32 staff , 20 from Darwen.

Mr Wilson, born in Bull Hill, said: “We have had an amazing first year, better than I expected.

“We are now looking to employ more staff, especially from Darwen where the expertise in this field is to be found.

“There were 39 of us made redundant in 2015 and Steve and I managed to re-found the business and it has gone from strength to strength.

“St Catherine’s is the latest project to be finished but we work all over the UK offering specialist service people seem to want.”

Fellow director Jon Almond said: “Time and the prevailing weather had not been kind to St Catherine’s.

“Great care was taken to manufacture the 100 new blocks to ensure a precision fit and to match the colour.”

Miranda Barker,chief executive of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, which arranged a £30,000 grant for the firm, said: “This is a superb example of a new company rising from the ashes of difficult times.

“It is the sort of specialist manufacturer we excel in and East Lancashire needs.”

Another section of Shaws of Darwen, Shaws Since 1897 Ltd, remains on Waterside in the town manufacturing sinks.