A number of jobs could be created in Shrewsbury as a town business prepares to unveil its new £1 million storage facility increasing production capacity by 30 per cent.
Morris Lubricants has also received confirmation from Buckingham Palace that the new unit will be officially opened by the Princess Royal next month.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the blending and storage facility will be held on Monday, October 25, with the visit from royalty coinciding with the company’s 140th year in trading.
The lubricants business, which employs 140 people from its headquarters in Castle Foregate, will see its production rise from 42,000 tonnes of lubricants per year to 60,000 – a rise of 30 per cent.
And bosses say this increase will be good for the local economy and could mean they need to take on more staff.
The project has taken around eight months to complete and the storage unit will now house extra equipment such as tanks and pipes.
They already export to more than 65 countries worldwide, including New Zealand, Australia and Pakistan and with the latest development bosses are hopeful of expanding that global market further.
Andrew Goddard, managing director, said: “The new blending and storage facility is now fully commissioned and will increase our production capacity by 30 per cent.
“At the moment this upgrade is very good news for our existing workforce and it may lead to job opportunities in the future.
“This new venture also gives us the ability to look at different market sectors on a global basis with the possibility of expanding our export business.”
Mr Goddard added it was fantastic news for everyone associated with the company, and that they were looking forward to extending a very warm welcome to the Princess Royal.
By David Seadon