A MAJOR deal to establish a foothold in the Far East has been struck by a Blackburn firm.

Scapa Scandia, part of the Scapa Group, has signed an agreement with Japanese-based Chuetsu Tech.

The deal will see Scapa Scandia specialist fabrics introduced in to the Japanese market. Under the agreement, Chuetsu Tech will be licensed to manufacture and sell Scapa Scandia's product range in Japan.

And staff from the Blackburn firm will train Japanese workers in areas such as technical, production and quality management skills. Scapa Scandia, based in Cartmell Road, employs 500 people manufacturing press felts and drier fabrics used on paper machines.

The news of the Japanese deal comes just weeks after the Advanced Products Division, based at the Scapa Scandia site, won a prestigious Queen's Award for Technological Achievement.

The award was made after division developed a special membrane used in paper manufacture.

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