A £2.8 MILLION investment programme is set to get started under the lead of a new managing director.

Textile coaters J B Broadley, of Rawtenstall, has doubled in size in recent years and, by investing in new technology, the firm is expanding further.

Julie Smith, who has worked for the Rawtenstall firm for 10 years and has previously been finance director, has now taken over as managing director from Alan Pilkington.

The world's largest coater of material for airbags, it also makes products including windproof linings for clothes. A £2.25 million investment in 1998 will be followed up by a further £2.8 million over the next two years.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.