A CANADIAN firm has given council bosses a pat on the back for helping them set up in Blackburn.

Excellpak Packaging Inc, which cuts and finishes borders for the wallpaper industry, set up a subsidiary based at a 15,000 sq ft manufacturing plant on the Fort Street industrial estate.

The new company - to be known as Excellpak Ltd - will create 106 jobs over the next three years.

The £880,000 investment - the company's first overseas venture - is being supported by a £200,000 grant from the Department of Trade and Industry.

The Ontario-based firm has also received support and advice from Blackburn with Darwen Council and North West regional development organisation INWARD.

Jim Hingley, chairman of Excellpak Ltd, said: "Blackburn gives us close proximity to our customer base and has an experienced, excellent local workforce, and so the area was high on our list of possible locations.

"However, it was the excellent package of support and assistance from Blackburn Economic Development Department and the Government Office which convinced us that this was the right area for our new investment."

Excellpak managing director Buddy Seymore was so grateful he presented Steve Hoyle, of Blackburn with Darwen Council, with a special print as a thank-you for the council's help.

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