A growing Bradford steel company is creating 20 jobs as part of a £1 million expansion programme.

Osborn Steel Extrusions, of Brighouse Road, Low Moor, currently employs 65 people and by the time the expansion is completed with have 85 workers. The two-year programme has been funded by the firm's parent company ANI Aurora metals, of Sheffield, which is in turn owned by global group Australia National Industries.

There has been a steel and iron works on the Low Moor site since the 1700s.

Osborn Steel Extrusions has been in the business since 1953 when one of the first extrusion presses in the world was installed.

The expansion programme involves bringing in a new descaling plant which is being installed and will allow the firm to increase its extrusion capacity to almost 2,500 tonnes a year from the current 1,600 tonnes.

The firm has already installed new heating equipment and dye-making facilities and the last part of the process -- the descaling facility - has been installed and is being prepared for use by the end of September.

The new plant is also introducing environmental and health and safety improvements to make the factory safer for its employers.

Osborn Steel Extrusions, which has a current annual turnover of £6 million, aims to increase its turnover to £8.5m in the next few years. Director and general manager Andrew Griggs, said: "This project is the most significant development of the production facilities at our Low Moor site in the history of the company.

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