UP to 80 new jobs could be created at a Hyndburn engineering firm if a proposed £500,000 factory extension gets the go-ahead.

Raven Engineering (Pressings) Ltd is seeking planning permission to extend its factory in Metcalf Drive, on the Altham industrial estate.

The company said the proposed development will not only safeguard the future of the current 100-strong workforce, but would also lead to between 20 and 30 new jobs in both manufacturing and administration.

And within five years it anticipates an extra 80 jobs will be created, 60 manufacturing and 20 office positions.

Raven Engineering manufactures metal pressings and assemblies for the automotive, telecommunications, electronics and child safety markets.

The firm said the planned extension to increase manufacturing floorspace would enable it to expand and compete in new markets.

Financial controller Joe Incutti said: "We do have an aggressive plan for growing the business and the growth will result in more people coming on board.

"It's a very labour-intensive activity we carry out.

"We are actually recruiting people now but nothing on the scale that is going to happen in the next year or so.

"It's quite an exciting and quite a demanding 12 to 18 months head of us."

He added that the timetabling of the extension would depend on the size of the order book, particularly in the satellite dish market where they are forecasting major growth, and how much capacity can be absorbed within the existing plant.

The planning application, submitted to Hyndburn Council for permission to build a single and two-storey extension, also involves the creation of a new car park and landscaping to screen the development.

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