A long-established Blackburn envelope manufacturer has invested more than £2 million in a new state-of-the-art machine creating at least 20 jobs.
The hi-tech paper slitting device is the latest modernisation move by Heritage Envelopes as its Davyfield Road, Lower Darwen headquarters.
The new jobs will boost its 114-strong workforce.
Founded in Hilton Street, Darwen, in 1984, the firm remains prosperous despite the rise of email, and in 2020 invested £4m in three new machines as it moves into making ‘green’ paper bags for speciality breads.
Now it has bought a second paper splitting machine made by Winkler and Dunnebier in Germany.
Heritage's chief executive, Mark Sears, said: "In an ambitious stride towards further modernisation, we can announce a seven-figure investment in a cutting-edge envelope machine - a significant addition to the firm's already impressive fleet of the most advanced envelope production machinery in Europe.
"This move not only cements Heritage's position as a leader in the industry but also signals a promising horizon of job creation, with at least 20 new positions set to open.
"Heritage, renowned for its award-winning print and design capabilities in envelopes and paper bags, is expanding its horizons with the acquisition of a high-tech paper slitting machine.
"This latest investment is aimed at broadening their service offerings to include paper slitting for the label and paper conversion sectors, highlighting a strategic pivot towards comprehensive paper conversion solutions.
"With more than 40 years in the business, Heritage has consistently evolved, never remaining static.
"Our response to market demands has been proactive and innovative, leading to diverse investments over the past four years in paper bag manufacturing and a slitting machine.
"This development underscores Heritage's commitment to innovation and adaptation, ensuring we remain at the forefront of the industry by leveraging the latest technologies and expanding our service offerings.
"The new investment is £2m plus for just this one machine.
"This will help to create around 20 new jobs.
"These will range from warehouse managers, supervisors, machine operators and minder's on the shop floor.
"There will also be new opportunities for apprenticeships and sales order processing positions.
"This machine can print up to eight colours inline. At the same time it can also add a coating and is the first envelope machine to be able to do inline embossing. All of this can be done on the same run.
"The Flexo print quality produced by this machine is of the highest standard.
"This gives us a cheaper alternative to Litho print and allows us to offer our customers a more economical option for high-quality print."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here