A HYNDBURN textile company that faced going out of business after 134-years has relocated to Blackburn after a takeover.

Hilden Manufacturing was brought out of administration by Manchester-based linens firm Vision Support Services Group (VSS), last year, and has now moved to two new sites.

The firm’s new head office is in Walker Park, Guide, while it has set up a warehouse at Junction Seven Business Park, Clayton-le-Moors, therefore retaining its Hyndburn links.

The move has been welcomed by Hyndburn council leader Peter Britcliffe.

He said: “This is excellent news. We have lost too much of our textile heritage and this means some of it has been saved for the borough.”

The company previously had warehouse staff and drivers at Woodnook Mill, Accrington, and a sales and admin teams at Clifton Mill, Pickup Street, Oswaldtwistle.

The Hilden brand now comes under the leadership of HLL Linens, a subsidiary of Manchester owned Vision Support Services Ltd (VSS), and company bosses are confident about the future of the firm.

A VSS spokesman said: “There were signs of the credit crunch when we secured the deal but, as far as we were concerned, it was too good a business to allow to go the wall.”

Company bosses said Hilden and sister company Liddell were both seeing strong sales and had already returned to a profitable status only months after being rescued from administration.

They put this down to a new management structure which they said was getting the most out of the firm.

The takeover safeguarded over 50 jobs which are now spread across the two East Lancashire sites.

Sales director, Mark Lockwood, added: “Hilden has a long established Lancashire heritage and has been part of the local community for over 134 years.

“Finding a new home within a five mile radius of our previous premises allows us to continue to be a part of the local community and to further build our heritage in the region”.

Hilden Manufacturing, founded by the descendants of Spinning Jenny inventor James Hargreaves, specialises in the supply of bedding, towels and table linens to textile rental, wholesale and hotel customers around the world.