Rossendale manufacturer creates eight new jobs

A Rossendale steelwork and engineering firm is set to create eight new jobs after investing in new machinery, with support from a government grant.

James Killelea & Co in Crawshawbooth manufactures and erects structural steel, with its products being used in football stadiums, hospitals and within other civil engineering projects.

Killelea began to see an increase in enquiries and realised that to meet demand it needed to acquire additional steel plate processing machinery. The new machinery will enable the company to produce steel fittings faster, increasing competitiveness and creating new jobs within their assembly workshops, including designers and machine operators.

Peter Killelea, network administrator at the company, contacted Regenerate Pennine Lancashire, which contributed a non-repayable grant of £75,000 toward the full cost of the project. The grant was supported by the government’s Regional Growth Fund.

Peter said: “The new machinery will enable us to win more tenders and take on bigger jobs. Without the investment and the grant from Regenerate, we would have relied on having several processes handled by external contractors, which would have been less profitable and could have reduced our staff level over time. As a result, the project has not only created 8 jobs, but has safeguarded a further 12.”

The application for the grant has been endorsed by Rossendale Borough Council, which is encouraging other businesses to apply for the grant funding. Councillor Andy MacNae, portfolio holder for regeneration, tourism and leisure at Rossendale Borough Council said: “It’s fantastic that Killelea are further investing in the borough with grant support from Regenerate. We’d urge those in other businesses to consider whether a grant could help them grow and access the funding while it is available."