ONE hundred and thirteen new jobs have been created in Burnley and more could be on the way after furniture firm Pine Direct opened a new 100,000 square feet head office and manufacturing plant.

Furniture retailer Scartop Pine Village and trade wholesaler Pine Direct got grant assistance for the move to the old railway sidings in Rosegrove from Burnley's Challenge Fund and the Burnley Employment and Training Charter.

To supplement the 73 people who transferred from sites in Stanbury near Keighley and at Heywood, 40 new employees have been recruited locally and more may be taken on in the coming months.

Paul Hibbs, marketing manager for Pine Direct, said: "Burnley was chosen as the ideal location for a number of reasons but primarily because of the help and assistance we received from Burnley Council's Economic Development Unit and the Burnley Employment and Training Charter.''

He said the new site was also convenient for their stores at Stanbury, Wakefield, Heywood and Bamber Bridge.

They were also attracted by the good communication links and great pool of labour in the immediate area.

The new premises form the first part of a two phase £3.5 million investment to centralise the company's warehousing, distribution, finishing and administrative functions.

The state of the art facility is the latest expansion by the company, established by husband and wife team Tim and Sandie Johnson 24 years ago high on the moors near Haworth.

Burnley Council leader Stuart Caddy said the development proved the hard work of the council and partners was attracting considerable investment to the borough.

Anne Marie Wrigley, of the Burnley Employment and Training Charter, said much needed jobs had been brought into the town and the move was making a contribution to the regeneration to one of the most deprived areas of Burnley.

Scartop Pine Village has stores in Yorkshire and Lancashire selling their own-made quality pine and oak furniture.

Pine Direct, the manufacturing and wholesale business, delivers new wood and reclaimed pine to the retail trade nationally.

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