AN envelope machine which turns out 90,000 envelopes an hour is the pride and joy of a Wearside business.

And no wonder, when you consider the new Winker & Dunnebier 202 reel-fed envelope manufacturing machine represents the completion of £5.3m worth of investment at Washington Envelopes.

Management reckons the investment makes the envelope manufacturers the most modern in the UK.

A spokesman said the piece of equipment will increase the production of Washington's bread and butter orders. Other money has been spent on other types of new technology, new warehousing space and staff training.

Julie Corkhill, sales director, said: "We are delighted to be entering 2002 with our machinery overhaul complete and the plant operating at maximum production on the best range of technology seen in one site in the country, if not Europe.

"We are now turning out approximately 35 million gummed wallet-style envelopes every week, many of which are very cutting-edge designs and techniques."

The plant specialises in bulk contract production of bespoke envelopes for many blue chip organisations including British Telecom, the Inland Revenue, the employment Service, DSS, Experian and Britannia Music.