Manufacturer JJO plc invests £750k in new trade outlet

A manufacturing company in Lancashire is marking its 150th year in business with a six-figure investment.

J & J Ormerod Plc (JJO), one of the largest employers in Rossendale, is spending £750k on the launch of a new one-stop trade shop in nearby Rawtenstall.

The kitchen, bedroom and bathroom manufacturer acquired the former Jacobson Group works off Bacup Road in Cloughfold.

The semi-derelict office building’s steel structure will be retained but JJO will completely remodel the premises from its concrete base upwards. The process will include the removal of asbestos cladding.

The development will be named Marshall House after long-term JJO director Kenneth Marshall, who has been diagnosed with cancer.

Stephen Greenhalgh, joint managing director at JJO, said: “This development will put JJO on the map and it will give us a very visible street presence on one of the main roads through Rossendale.

“Our trade department has been based at our showrooms at Rossendale Interiors on Newchurch Road, Stacksteads, but that has not been ideal.”

He added: “Parking is difficult in that area and customers have to travel the length of the Valley to access the facility on main roads that are regularly subject to delays.”

The building is currently semi-derelict

JJO sales and contracts manager Patrick Wilkinson commented: “We will have a showroom window display and we are looking to put in a mezzanine floor to accommodate a larger showroom inside.

“We will have a trade counter for people to come in and order kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms and component parts, which are currently distributed from a couple of sites.”

He continued: “Everything for the trade customer will be in one central location, which is easier to access than trekking across the Valley.

“It is a massive investment for JJO and it will give us a street presence. At the moment some people don’t realise that we are also a trade outlet.”

The company, which reported its best turnover to date in 2017, also owns the nearby Victoria Works scheme. That complex is now home to JJO’s bathroom department.

Speaking further, Stephen said: “Had we not already bought Victoria Works, I don’t think we would have looked at this building, but having that site so close by means that we already have the transport and management in place for this development.

“The new premises will also provide a base for our own collection and dispatch service.”

Marshall House is scheduled to open this autumn.