A Ribble Valley firm is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year having grown from humble beginnings to being a top industry player with global reach.

Marbill Developments was founded in Sabden in 1974 and specialises in polyurethane and rubber elastomers.

It was established by chemist Martin Hoare and engineer William Rimmer, who developed a polyurethane casting facility to produce bespoke high-performance mouldings for industrial and mineral handling sectors.

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Their work included the development of a solvent-free elastomer spray cover system, a breakthrough that significantly expanded Marbill’s range of applications and put the company on the global map.

Following the retirement of its founders, the company was successfully led by Mark Hargreaves, who further enhanced Marbill’s capabilities by introducing rubber covers alongside the existing polyurethane roller cover options.

Under his leadership, the company relocated from the Victoria Mill in Sabden to its current premises at Time Technology Park in Simonstone.

Since 2017, Marbill has been under the leadership of its current directors, Lee Parfitt, Janet Armstrong, and Tom Bromley, who bring decades of experience and dedication to the company.

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Ms Armstrong, production director, said: “We are delighted to mark and celebrate this 50-year milestone with our dedicated staff.

“This achievement is a testament to the hard work and commitment of both our employees and our long-standing customers, some of whom have been with us since the very beginning in the 1970s.

“Despite the many economic challenges we've faced, including the recent pandemic and the rising energy costs, our proud heritage has provided us with the resilience to continue growing and serving our clients.

"We look forward to many more milestones in the years to come.”