A LEADING food packaging company has unveiled plans for a £1.3 million expansion and investment project as it plans to hire more staff and increase shift patterns.

Northern Paper Board is looking to nearly double the size of its Skipton premises with the construction of a new 22,000 sq ft three-bay stock warehouse due to be completed this summer.

Planning permission for the development was granted on the back of the £9.7million Skipton flood defence scheme to protect hundreds of homes and businesses in the town, including Northern Paper Board’s six-acresite in Engine Shed Lane.

The independent family-run company remains the UK’s second largest manufacturer and supplier of solid board boxes for the food processing industry.

Its new warehouse will provide urgently needed additional space for storing finished goods and will also house a Bobst Domino high-speed folder gluer, which will boost NPB’s manufacturing capabilities and production capacity, primarily for bespoke printed boxes. The company has invested £600,000 in the new equipment.

John Curran, managing director, said: “The project will create new jobs and allow the business to grow significantly. We have already shown solid year-on-year growth, from £5.4 million to £10.5 million annual turnover over the past five years. We can now confidently expect to achieve a further 20 per cent per year growth.”

Established in 1979, Northern Paper Board has invested £4 million in the business in the past decade. It has a 24-strong workforce and primarily serves the meat and poultry markets, with a growing presence across both the fish and horticultural sectors.

The new extension is being built by Sutcliffe Construction, based in nearby Hellifield, who have previously done work for Northern Paper Board as part of its continuing expansion and investment programme.