A Suffolk-based firm which makes building insulation boards is poised to expand into north Yorkshire.

East Anglian Daily Times: Saw operator Christopher Szczap watches the boards as they come out of the oven at Celotex, Ladylane Industrial Estate, Hadleigh. EADT 7.8.12Saw operator Christopher Szczap watches the boards as they come out of the oven at Celotex, Ladylane Industrial Estate, Hadleigh. EADT 7.8.12

Celotex, which employs 220 staff at its Hadleigh production site, is planning to build a £20million plant at Eggborough, near Selby.

In 2012, the fast-growing firm was snapped up by French building materials giant Saint-Gobain, which has a worldwide turnover of 41billion euros (about £30.1bn).

Since then, Celotex, founded 90 yeras ago, has expanded its workforce at the Lady Lane Industrial Estate by 50. The Suffolk site will be unaffected by the new production facility, a Saint-Gobain spokeswoman said.

“I can confirm that the current Suffolk site will not be affected by this - it is purely an expansion due to the success of the current site, which will continue to operate,” she said.

The company said it couldn’t share the turnover figure for Celotex separately to the parent company, However, before it was bought up, Celotex generated sales of £69.7m in 2011 and was expecting record profits in the year to August 2012.

If Saint-Gobain’s proposals are approved by Selby District Council, the new facility will be built next to Saint-Gobain’s slass manufacturing facility in Eggborough with production due to begin in spring of 2017.

Celotex has been making polyisocyanurate (PIR) rigid thermal insulation in the UK since 1980, and its Suffolk site already has two similar production lines to the one that will be constructed at the new facility in Eggborough.

Saint-Gobain said the new facility would enable it to continue to meet the needs of a developing market for insulation products in the UK, creating up to 50 new jobs at the site and a further 50 within its local supplier and contractor network.

Mike Chaldecott, general delegate for Saint-Gobain in the UK & Ireland, said: “Celotex has continued to go from strength to strength in the last few years, and we’re delighted to continue to invest in the business to enable Celotex to meet the growing needs of its customers and the increasing demand in the market for innovative, high-performing insulation.

“The plans will make use of an existing Saint-Gobain site, provide another 100 high-quality jobs, in the local area, where Saint-Gobain Glass have been employing more than 200 local people since 2007.”

Celotex managing director Craig Chambers said: “This is great news for our customers and will enable us to continue to provide first-class service and technical support to our customers throughout the UK and provide a strong and sustainable base for our continued growth.”

British Gypsum and Jewson are also part of the Saint-Gobain group in the UK and Ireland.