A company which has grown steadily since starting with just five men 21 years ago announced a new £1.5m expansion today.

C.A. Roofing now employs 235 people at its factory in Evenwood near Barnard Castle, Co Durham, and 265 others on a contract basis on sites around Britain.

It is now planning to spend £1 million on a new unit close to its present base, and is investing £500,000 on two machines for rolling out corrugated sheeting.

Nigel Randon-Partis, the operations director, said yesterday, "We need the new equipment and extra space to keep up with demand. We hope to start building the new unit soon and to have it ready next year.

"We have started 10 new workers this week. We are looking for six more at the moment and will need at least 10 more next year. We mean to continue this steady growth for a while yet."

One of the two new machines has arrived from America, and the other is due to come from Italy shortly. They will run faster to roll out corrugated sheeting to be fitted on industrial unit roofs all over the country.

The firm was started in 1983 by Neville Colegrove and Henry Agnew, who are now joint managing directors. They have since bought out two others, Brian Atkinson and Richard Crane, who were their original partners.

The company name came from the fact that two of their surnames started with C and the other two with A.

Mr Randon-Partis was the fifth member of the team, starting as shop floor foreman and organising the first workers.

He added yesterday, "You have to take your hat off to the two MDs. Over the years they could have put a lot of money in their own pockets, but they have put it back into the business so it could keep on expanding."

The firm is having to rent some factory space at Shildon until the new unit is completed. The Evenwood workforce is made up of 165 on the shop floor and 70 office staff.

CA Roofing has applied to Teesdale District Council for planning consent for the new unit, and members will get a report on it from planning officers soon.