Rubber firm hopes move will give it bounce
A RUBBER products manufacturer which has operated from Liverpool’s docks for more than 50 years has moved to new premises in Knowsley.
Ley Rubber has relocated from a former Victorian warehouse on Bridgewater Street to a modern 25,000 sq ft site on Knowsley Industrial Park. The company has invested £950,000 in the move, including investment in new production equipment.
Founded in 1956, Ley Rubber manufactures and imports rubber products such as tubes, hoses, bungs and stoppers. Its products are used by the automotive, educational, scientific and pharmaceutical sectors.
The company said the move will enable it to improve efficiency as it competes against cheaper imports. The business has 32 staff and a turnover of £2.4m.
Managing director Mark Wealleans said: “It was clear that we had taken the old site as far as we could. There was limited space to improve the business and this had started to hinder our operations. Without the move to new premises we would have struggled to increases our current level of sales.
“The move to Kirkby is a very exciting development and gives us the opportunity to invest in new manufacturing technologies to improve our production processes.”
NatWest business and commercial banking in Liverpool provided the company with a £150,000 funding package including an enterprise finance guarantee loan to help fund the move.
