AN £8 million investment programme is under way at Cavalier Carpets.

The firm is expanding with new premises on Shadsworth Business Park which will eventually house the firm's manufacturing, warehousing and offices.

Last year, it acquired 30,000 sq ft of space on the site next to the M65 extension. The firm currently operates three sites across Blackburn and, over the next few years, plans to build a further 250,000 sq ft on the Shadsworth site to accommodate them.

The investment programme also includes new machinery bought from Blackburn tufted carpet machine manufacturer Cobble. They are currently being installed and are planned to be in operation by March.

"The present investment in machinery cements Cavalier as a major player in tufted Axminister and Wilton carpets," said managing director Gerry Lowe.

"New doors will be opened to us worldwide with installation of this specialist machinery giving us more opportunities to sell to an increasingly demanding customer base."

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