A CHEMICAL company is investing over £2 million as part of a ten-year growth plan and commitment to increasing use of technology in the business.

Airedale Chemical, which is based at Skipton Road in Cross Hills, has a number of initiatives in the pipeline.

Plans include new plant installations and acquisitions.

And the firm says action is already underway to create "sustainable growth and smarter systems".

Operations director, Daniel Fox, said: "Over the coming months, we’ll be revealing individual projects which are helping to boost our strategy of growth and continuous improvement. The investment will help create greater geographical reach, entry into new markets and product specialisms, and organic growth through process efficiencies.

"The company also plans to expand through carefully selected acquisitions to enhance its product offering and develop distribution channels. Plus, a number of newly-created roles and additions to the company’s fleet of privately-owned vehicles are in the pipeline."

Chris Chadwick, chief executive officer of the Airedale Group, describes the plans as "ambitious and aggressive".

He adds: "As an independent, family-run business we have the agility to move quickly – which is essential in fast-moving industries like chemical manufacturing and has helped us react to changes and opportunities in the sector.

"Our plans are both ambitious and aggressive and we’ll be making a big splash in the industry over the short and long term.

"We have identified a number of acquisition opportunities and will be adding to the Airedale Group to ensure our growth and increased presence in the market.

"Our previous plan, covering a five-year period, concluded last year and we successfully conquered new markets and achieved product diversification. Now we’re excited to embark on the next chapter of the company’s almost-50-year history.

"In the last decade, we have grown from Airedale Chemical into the Airedale Group ­– which includes four businesses and a charitable foundation."

Airedale Chemical was founded by Brian Chadwick at Heaton, Bradford, in 1973, as a one-person operation initially buying and selling textile dyes.

The company continued to grow and relocated to a larger site in the 1980s.

Airedale Chemical has been based in Cross Hills since 1994.

It now provides chemicals and contract manufacturing to markets including agriculture, dairy, water treatment and waste management.

The firm has given its support to annual Bradford Manufacturing Weeks, when firms across the district link-up with schools and colleges to promote potential future careers within industry.