Vickers shows vision for growth with new production facility

YORKSHIRE chemicals manufacturer Vickers Laboratories has opened the doors on a new £500,000 monomer production facility in Leeds to meet increasing global demand from the contact lens market.

The new building, an expansion of its current site in Pudsey, is dedicated to the production of a monomer used in the manufacture of silicone hydrogel lenses.

Steve Foster, managing director for Vickers Laboratories, said the investment will keep the company at the forefront of the contact lens sector, enabling it to boost export potential and compete on an international scale.

“When you consider that the global contact lens market is worth around £4.8 bn and is growing at a rate of 10% year on year, it makes sense for us to focus on delivering more to our clients in this sector,” said Foster.

Vickers Laboratories was established in 1969 as a chemical manufacturer and was based in Burley in Wharfedale before moving to its current site in 1995.

In 2007 it acquired an additional unit to allow for expansion.

In 2010 Foster and two other members of the management team, Paul Bottomley and Phil Consatine, bought the business from its owners.

Vickers currently employs 27 people in Leeds and has a turnover of £3m. It has evolved from focusing solely on chemical manufacturing to become a global chemical, packing and logistics company.

Foster said the latest development would help Vickers achieve its goal of boosting turnover by 10% next year and would generate new employment opportunities.

“As the market expands we will be creating new jobs across the business, in areas such as product development, production and logistics,” he said.

The new building was officially opened by Stuart Andrew, MP for Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough, who praised the firm’s growth plans

“The level of investment is quite staggering and shows a real commitment to the local economy, safeguarding existing jobs and creating new jobs for the future,” he said.