Oil firm’s £3m expansion completes

Two major contracts totalling £3m to extend and refurbish the Leeds operating site of an oil firm have been completed.

Vickers Oils is a family-run company which has been based on Clarence Road for almost 140 years. The company holds market leading positions worldwide in the marine, textile and food grade manufacturing markets.

The £3m contracts completed by Britcon comprised an initial phase to construct a new 5,500 sq ft two-storey, river-side building for a first-floor laboratory with roof plant area and ground floor storage facility. A further phase, which reaches completion this month, involved the refurbishment of the existing ground floor laboratory and first floor offices with a new façade, café, toilets and changing facilities.

Vickers Oils has made the substantial investment to update its existing 50-year-old laboratory buildings and consolidate into a more modern facility with improved manufacturing capabilities and facilities for staff.

Chris Wholley, Technical Director at Vickers Oils, said: “Our environment acceptable marine lubricants have helped our business to grow significantly in recent years following legislation that requires the worldwide shipping industry to make changes. This has allowed us to invest in our plant and relocate our wet chemistry function into the new laboratory whilst keeping our mechanical testing and offices in the old buildings.

“Through the initial phase Britcon were able to offer value engineering that has subsequently allowed us to invest further with phase two and improve facilities for our workforce.”

Paul Clarkson, Managing Director at Britcon added: “Due to the nature of works this project was complex but the chemicals sector is a specialism for us and we have the expertise capacity to deliver. After the timely completion of the new laboratory we were delighted to secure a further contract to complete the overall site refurbishment to provide a new and more modern HQ building façade with energy efficient windows and internal facilities.”

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