A TEESSIDE chemical mainstay has created jobs in a £6m expansion.

Chemoxy International is doubling the size of its plant in Billingham, near Stockton.

The move has delivered new 15 posts, including process operator and support staff, taking Chemoxy’s workforce to 130.

The company, whose sister Middlesbrough site gave birth to Teesside’s chemical industry, has been supported by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF).

The firm supplies processing for international chemical companies, environmentally-friendly solvents for use in paints and cleaning products, and chemicals for the pharmaceutical, electronic and fuel additive industries.

Bosses, who completed a management buyout two years ago, say the five-acre expansion will accommodate future growth as it adjusts to continued rising demand.

Commissioning on the site is expected to start in July.

Ian Stark, Chemoxy International’s chief executive, said: “We are seeing increased demand for our services and solvents, and this new plant will significantly lift our capacity.

“We pride ourselves on having the agility and responsiveness of a small company partnered with the quality and level of service of a much larger organisation.

“We are grateful to the support we have received from the RGF, which was endorsed by Tees Valley Unlimited local enterprise partnership, the North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) and Stockton Borough Council.”

The expansion follows the management buyout of Dow Chemical’s two Teesside processing plants, which was led by Mr Stark and Martyn Bainbridge.

Dr Stan Higgins, NEPIC chief executive, praised the firm’s vision, highlighting its key position in the local and national economy.

He said: “The team must be very proud of their performance since they took ownership of the company.

“There are several such success stories for companies in our region who have blossomed when they have dropped the shackles of large corporate organisations through management buyout.

“This investment should see Chemoxy through their next phase of growth.

“It is a good example of a high growth SME in advanced manufacturing, with a highly-skilled workforce and large export sales that is helping to revive the UK’s economy.”

Last year, The Northern Echo revealed Chemoxy was working on significant specialist chemical projects with Indian firms, which if successful, would mean jobs at Billingham.

Chemoxy's All Saints refinery site, in Cargo Fleet Road, Middlesbrough, occupies the spot where, in 1869, industralist Samuel Sadler founded a tar distillery starting the region's chemical process industry.