A BURNLEY manufacturing firm has created 15 new jobs after it received a six-figure government boost.

Learoyd Packaging Ltd, based at Heasandford Mill in Netherwood Road, specialises in printing plastic food packaging for brands such as Warburtons, Muller Dairies and leading UK supermarkets.

It will use a non-repayable £100,000 grant from Regenerate Pennine Lancashire, supported by the Regional Growth Fund, to fund new machinery.

The firm’s finance director, Ray Harrison, said it hoped to expand by offering clients a more cost-effective method of flexographic printing.

He said: “This project enables us to exploit new technology which not only increases our capacity but due to quicker make-ready times also means we can undertake smaller order quantities and offer our clients greater flexibility.

“Regenerate’s support in helping us to access the grant was invaluable and we were able to conclude this project and recruit a range of staff earlier.”

Mr Harrison said new methodology based on a ‘fixed colour palette system’, which allows thousands of colours to be created on press using only six standard colours, would help Learoyd compete in the modern market.

As well as major investment in new technology and machinery, the firm said it would undertake ‘significant property alterations’ to accommodate the new equipment.

Learoyd was founded in 1976 and has won a host of prizes at the European Flexographic Industry Association’s Print Awards in the past six years.