BURY-based Cormar Carpets has completed a £3.2 million investment designed to keep the company at the cutting edge of customer needs.

A new, five-metre wide backing plant and oven have been installed at the firm's Brookhouse Mill site in Greenmount to make the company self-sufficient in the production of standard width carpets.

Managing director David Judge said: "There has been a considerable increase in demand for wider width carpets since we first introduced five metre widths eight years ago.

"Our customers now want the flexibility of wider widths on twist pile carpets as well as loop pile, so it became imperative to install a five-metre backing facility.

"This means we can offer the service levels that customers have come to expect from Cormar, on all widths."

Cormar is the UK's leading producer of tufted carpets and has been manufacturing for the past 48 years.

The firm employs more than 200 people at its twin-site operation in Tottington and Ramsbottom.

Over the last two years, the business has also invested £2 million in five-metre tufting machinery in both cut and loop pile at its Holme Mill, Ramsbottom.

And to support the company's expansion, Cormar has invested heavily in additional storage capacity at both mills and expanded its in-house transport fleet.

Mr Judge concluded: "There's no doubt that the market place has changed over the last five years and so it is crucial that every aspect of our operation is geared to cope with this.

"We have also made significant investment in our service levels with the installation of an integrated after sales software system, linking all parts of the business.

"It is all part of our ongoing commitment to make continual improvement to quality and service."