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£1.5m expansion scheme to create jobs

A spare parts supplier has unveiled ambitious £1.5 million expansion plans to help meet growing demand, under a scheme which is poised to create up to 15 jobs.

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L&S Engineers based in Brownhills recently bought a new warehouse near its current premises at Coppice Side Industrial Estate and has now lodged plans to build a two-storey building to house offices, a trade counter and retail area.

Bosses at the company, which supplies plant and industrial spare parts to customers in the UK, Ireland and Europe, said the plans had been drawn up as business had rocketed over the last few years.

Sales manager, Ian Shay, said the company had almost doubled its turnover in the last five years and this year's projected turnover stands at £8.5m.

He said: "In the last four or five years we've had a growth spurt and have grown too big for our building.

"We bought the building across the road.

"It's probably four times bigger than where we are.

"We are refurbishing the warehouse, grounds and car park.

"It's going to be a very smart looking building. "

He said the company mostly dealt with mail orders but wanted to make the trade counter a bigger part of the business.

Mr Shay said the business, which has been running since 1971, planned to expand its product range further and up to 15 jobs would be created in the next few years if the company succeeded in getting planning permission from Walsall Council for its newest venture - boosting the current 30 strong workforce.

He said: "There will be new employment opportunities.

"We will need warehouse operatives, sales and administration staff.

"It's a massive redevelopment which is costing about £1.5m and we are hoping to move in during March next year."

He said the firm would still be keeping its current premises, with its future usage yet to be determined.

The company was originally a small engineering firm, making custom fabrications such as water pump strainers and starting handles.

It supplied its customers directly and sub contracted to larger engineering businesses based in the Midlands.

In the mid to late 1970s, it continued to undertake a variety of fabrication and machinery work for the construction, plant hire, quarrying and engineering industries.

Around this time, the company started to supply a small number of machinery and small plant spares to its existing customers.

The spares side of the business grew and in the 1980s the business started a van delivery service which supplied spare parts to businesses around the UK.

The engineering side of the business was sold off in 1988 to concentrate on the booming spares business.

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