Manufacturer finishes £2m expansion plan

FANTASTIC for the area . . . says Martin Hill, of HPP Oldham

HILL's Panel Products (HPP), an Oldham-based manufacturer and distributor of board, doors and fittings for the kitchen and bedroom industry, has completed a £2 million expansion plan, which could create an additional 10 jobs.

The new development at HPP's Scottfield Road site, off Ashton Road, includes extra warehousing, machinery and automated storage systems that will bring new skilled roles within its production line along with other jobs in warehousing and packing.

The new system represents a leap forward because it will enable HPP to offer a wider range of made-to-measure PVC- doors and cut-to-specification work for kitchen and bedroom furniture.

The company supplies its products to the fitting trade across the UK.

Speaking about the latest developments, Martin Hill, operations director and one of the business's founders, said: "The new investment will be fantastic for the area because it will provide 10 additional jobs. It will also give our trade customers access to cutting-edge manufacturing technology, that in turn will provide their customers with market-leading, quality products."

HPP has installed new automated Homag warehousing and production lines, allowing it to manufacture a wider range of PVC-edged doors and panels, with design customisation services being a priority. The new production lines are re-stocked overnight automatically, ready for the following day's production run. The new system has in-line nesting routers, which are capable of creating bespoke cabinets, doors and panels in seconds, to exact measurements and specifications.

Mr Hill added: "This latest development is our biggest investment in HPP to date, and one that we feel will generate extraordinary value to our customer base. The ability to create bespoke components and matching doors quickly, efficiently and with total accuracy is something our customer base has wanted for some time."