A RIBBLE Valley company has unveiled a major new expansion which it hopes will provide the foundations for future growth.

On Friday the James Alpe Group, which specialises in motor body repair work, opened a 9,000sq ft reception and showroom at its purpose built site in Lincoln Way, Clitheroe.

The new reception marks the end of a £500,000 investment in business which has taken place over the last couple of years.

Attended by the borough’s MP Nigel Evans and mayor, Coun John hill, the company’s managing director James Alpe was bullish about the future of the company.

He said: “We grew from a small company to something much larger. To do this we have brought in a management system and we are now introducing training for managers and all our staff.

“This is an opportunity to show what we can do as a business.”

The James Alpe Group consists of six separate companies and employees more than 70 people. The core of the business remains accident repair work, but as the business has evolved it now encompasses a range of services for both private and business and fleet users alike. These include vehicle conversions, contract hire, all types of mechanical and accident repair, MOTs and servicing and more recently a commercial signage business.

There is even a section of the company that manufactures hog roast machines for another local company.

Mr Alpe established the business more than 25-years-ago in a barn on the family farm near Whitewell, in the Forest of Bowland.

The company has also secured some major contracts and is an approved repairer for Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen-Audi, Seat, Honda and Mitsubishi and organisations such as Lancashire Police and ambulance, United Utilities and Mondial Assistance.

The Mayor of Ribble Valley, Coun John Hill said: “What James has achieved as an entrepreneur is he has built this into something we are proud of as a council. It’s something that contributes to the economic vitality of the area and I commend him for that.”