MANUFACTURING company Expamet has been acquired by Exmet Group, which wants to expand the North-East base and bring jobs to the region.

Expamet, which has traded in Hartlepool since 1890 and employs more than 130 people, is looking to expand after Exmet unveiled a five-year strategy to invest in the company and increase its international profile.

Exmet revealed yesterday it plans to relocate Expamet's sister company, fence post maker Metpost, from Milton Keynes to Hartlepool before the end of the year, which will create jobs in the Tees Valley.

And it pledged that Expamet, which exports across the world and is the market leader in the plasterers' accessories market for the building industry, could see significant growth in both product ranges and workforce, and that further acquisitions were being considered to support Expamet and Metpost's work.

Nigel Dickinson, managing director of Exmet, said the group had been tracking its acquisitions for more than a year, and predicted its new Hartlepool base would have a crucial role to play in the growth of the group.

"There was never any question of Expamet leaving the area," he said. "On the contrary, we have every intention of making the site the centrepiece for the group and are looking at a number of possibilities for greater expansion in the new year."

The Exmet Group has been on the lookout for further expansion opportunities since acquiring failing Marley Waterproofing, in Kent, and transforming it from a loss-making to profitable company within two years.

Mr Dickinson said he believed Expamet and Metpost would help the group add to its success.

"We are very confident about our future," he said. "We are moving forward with excellent product lines, and we have inherited a very dedicated team.

"Together, there are real opportunities to expand the possibilities for current products and new ranges. We are looking forward to exciting and profitable years ahead."