A PLASTICS company has enlarged its County Durham presence to drive home expansion plans.

Labone Castleside has taken extra manufacturing space on Consett’s Number One Industrial Estate.

Bosses say the move will help the business, which supplies components to car marques such as Jaguar Land Rover and Sunderland- based Nissan, strengthen its market position and meet a £19m turnover target.

They added the move, which will see the business occupy its new unit on an initial six-year lease, will provide greater manufacturing space and offices for production training.

Work is due to start in the new site in May.

Dawn Whittle, managing director, said the unit forms part of the company’s wider growth plans, which will include new products and a £750,000 investment on operations.

She said: “We have grown significantly and have worked hard towards achieving our goals, which has allowed us to concentrate on certain market sectors and forging strong relationships with customers and our supply chain.

“During 2016, we re-invested heavily into new machinery and ancillary equipment and have plans to invest a further £750,000 this year to support our growth.

“When considering how best to take the company to its next level, it became clear it was more beneficial to add further manufacturing space and the unit allows us to do this.”

The company, which is owned by RA Labone and Co and already runs a factory on nearby Castleside Industrial Estate, employs more than 200 people and was supported by Durham City law firm Swinburne Maddison.

Solicitors Gillian Moir and Rachel Fletcher oversaw negotiations with the building’s owner Northern Trust Company Limited and utilities company Northern Powergrid to draw up a lease agreement.

Simon Robinson, partner at the law firm, added: “We are pleased to have been able to play such a key role in supporting Dawn and her team.

“We liaised closely with Northern Powergrid over the installation of an electricity cable, which was essential for production.”