UK timber component manufacturer Cheshire Mouldings is expanding production at its St Helens base following a grant boost from the St Helens Jobs and Growth Fund.
The business provides high quality timber products such as stair parts and balustrades, decking, mouldings and joinery. It is one of the top suppliers in the industry and its client base includes independent builders’ merchants, B&Q, Howdens, the Grafton Group and Wickes.
Cheshire Mouldings took the decision to invest £546,000 in a new facility to enable the business to manufacture ‘in house’ components that were previously imported from the Far East and Eastern Europe.
It was awarded £70,000 towards the cost of the project by the St Helens Jobs and Growth Fund, which is managed by St Helens Chamber and is part of the Government’s Regional Growth Fund initiative.
Managing Director John Carney says: “The receipt of the grant has been instrumental in enabling Cheshire Mouldings to install a ‘state of the art’ piece of equipment that will enable us to continue our growth both in sales and increased employment opportunities in St Helens.”
The investment will lead to the creation of a further ten permanent jobs, taking the total number of employees to 90.
The St Helens Jobs and Growth Fund aims to unlock investment amongst businesses in St Helens by helping them to access the finance they need to grow and create jobs.
Businesses can apply for grants of up to 20% of the total project value and applications are assessed by the Chamber’s investment panel.
Geo ff Bates, Regional Growth Fund Programme manager at the Chamber, said: “It is very pleasing to see investment from our £2million fund leading to an increase in manufacturing jobs and enabling a thriving St Helens business, which prides itself on it’s craftsmanship to bring production back from overseas.”
For further information and to download an expression of interest form, go to http://www.sthelenschamber.com/rgf or call Geoff Bates on 01744 742087.
