Glass firm's £2m move

From the Telegraph & Argus, first published Monday 7th Jun 2004.

A world-leading architectural glass company is set to create jobs and boost production following a £2 million move to a new 80,000 sq ft factory near Bradford city centre.

CT Glass has become the anchor tenant at the £3 million industrial development at the former Uppercroft Mills complex in Bowling Back Lane.

And the move to the new site, which has been built by local developer Marrtree, will see the creation of about 15 new jobs.

CT Glass will use the new premises to boost production of its highly specialised glass products used by architects for landmark projects around the world.

The jobs will be created as the company invests some £2 million in the move, including sophisticated new plant for handling glass sheets weighing up to 1.25 tonnes.

And the move will also secure the future of 110 jobs at CT Glass's existing site at the nearby Lower Lane Industrial Estate in Wakefield Road. That factory will see continued production of the company's specialised laminated and toughened products.

Today CT Glass sales manager Chris Graham said the move marked another major step for the company which has been growing by up to 20 per cent year on year since it was founded in 1983.

The company, which now turns over about £8 million, has been boosted by a growing use of glass in new buildings.

CT Glass manufactures toughened glass using two layers of glass and a plastic core suitable for the exteriors of buildings and glass floors and ceilings.

And Mr Graham said demand was expanding so rapidly that the firm was already developing a further 20,000 sq ft site next to its premises in Lower Lane.

"We would like to think that we are bucking the trend of many manufacturing companies," he said. "We have a managing director, Ian Hill, who is passionate about glass and glass machinery and we invest our profits back into the business."

He said the firm was committed to Bradford and was delighted to secure the Bowling Back Lane site.

"These premises were the ideal solution for us as we expand to meet growing demand for our products and maintain our place at the forefront of the market," he said.

"Importantly, the move creates a useful number of new jobs in addition to safeguarding those of our present 110-strong workforce."

The decision of CT Glass to locate at the site has also come as a major boost to Eccleshill-based developer Marrtree.

It has developed the site alongside its associate company Brighouse Estates, with both firms part of the long-established Frank Marshall Group.

Marrtree director William Marshall said that Bowling Back Lane was proving a popular location with firms looking to expand.

"We have completed similar sites across Yorkshire and have a Glasshoughton business park completing in August and a Silsden site starting shortly," he said.

"But this is our biggest scheme to date and CT Glass has given it a great start and an important endorsement of the city's continuing regeneration.

"We're receiving a lot of interest in the five remaining high quality industrial and warehousing units covering a total of 125,000 sq ft and currently being created on site.

"There is no doubt this is a first class business park in the making, close to the city centre, yet with superb transport infrastructure connections via the M606 and M62 link only minutes away."

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