MORE than 100 jobs are to be created when a leading Canadian company moves into Blackburn, it was announced today.

Excellpak Packaging Inc, which cuts and finishes borders for the wallpaper industry, is to 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 Limited, 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." The firm's new Blackburn plant will bring it close to the UK's wallpaper manufacturers and, in the longer term, act as a base for exports to the rest of the European market.

DTI minister Barbara Roche, who announced the £200,000 grant yesterday, said: "This is wonderful news for the local economy. I am delighted that DTI support is enabling the project to go ahead.

"It will provide a major stimulus both to the local economy, through job creation, and to the national economy through the substitution of goods currently imported to this country, and in the longer term through exports to the rest of Europe."

Steve Hoyle, acting director of economic development at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "We have worked very closely with the company on all aspects of this project and welcome their decision to locate in Blackburn.

"We look forward to working with the company in the future and to building on this success. The development by Excellpak indicates the growing reputation that Blackburn has as a centre for the wallpaper industry."

Gill Best, project manager at INWARD, said: "We were happy to assist Excellpak in its location decision and help bring another investment into Lancashire which builds on this important industry."

Excellpak has developed technology to produce wallpaper borders cut to patterns rather than the traditional straight-sided border.

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