AN engineering firm is celebrating after landing orders worth more than £40million.

Emerson & Renwick, based in Peel Bank, Church, said it will be taking on staff to meet delivery requirements. It now has just under 150 employees.

The independently owned company is seeking to lead the world in the supply of highly specialised coating equipment.

Emerson & Renwick, which is to mark its centenary next year, offers a broad range of printing, atmospheric coating and vacuum equipment and has seen sales soar since it launched a Genesis vacuum coating platform in November.

A £10m order has been signed with a new customer in Silicon Valley for delivery this year. The equipment supplied under this contract uses high-definition printing and vacuum coating techniques to create printed flexible electronics.

The other contract, worth more than £30m, has been placed from the US for a number of machine systems, due for delivery in 2018. These will be used in the roll-to-roll manufacture of the next generation of renewable energy elements.

Building on an already strong export order book, these deals have come as a direct result of what the company describes as its ‘innovative’ approach, underpinned by a £1.5m investment in a technology centre on its site.

A positive trickle-down effect will follow, with sub-contract work for other firms in Hyndburn and beyond.

Emerson & Renwick chairman Colin Hargreaves said: “There are exciting times ahead for us and for a number of other companies that supply key components to us. These contracts will require a substantial amount of sub-contract work to be placed with businesses in the Hyndburn area and across Europe.”

Mr Hargreaves added: “We will be investing in additional capital equipment and further recruitment of personnel to ensure that we meet the necessary delivery schedules.”

Potential customers have visited from the UK, Europe, America, China and Asia to see the Genesis machine.

Mr Hargreaves added: “The board is delighted that the decision just four years ago to develop an offer in the vacuum coating sector is creating such interest.

“We have seen year-on-year growth in sales in this time but these contracts bring a different dimension.”

Mr Hargreaves continued: “Our name is now firmly on the map of vacuum-depositing innovators.”