East Lancashire Box Co. to grow team following ‘significant’ Growth Fund investment

Packaging firm East Lancashire Box Co. has unveiled plans to create a dozen new jobs after landing a six-figure grant from the Lancashire Business Growth Fund.

The £120k boost, secured with the help of Blackburn-based accountancy and advisory firm PM+M, will see East Lancashire Box Co. take on 12 new employees at its Rishton HQ.

The grant cash will be used to purchase a printer, die cutter and other pieces of equipment to establish a new colour printing facility within 16,000 sq ft of production space at Junction 7 Business Park in Clayton-Le-Moors.

Founded in 1981, the firm manufactures bespoke cardboard box packages and products, handling all elements of design, print and production.

East Lancashire Box Co. director Peter Ingham said: “This is a significant investment for the company and is an exciting milestone in our history.

“The grant will help to support our growth plans and will ensure that we are able to develop our offering and provide a bespoke service to all our customers – from small businesses to multinationals.”

PM+M partner Andrew Cowking handled the forecasts for the grant application, while Neil Harrison of corporate fundraising firm The Harrison Partnership coordinated all elements of the application process.

Commenting on the deal, Andrew praised East Lancashire Box Co. as a “forward thinking” business, calling it one of the region’s “most entrepreneurial companies”.

He added: “We were delighted to help them secure the grant and we look forward to seeing how it aids their expansion over the coming years.”