AN Oldbury manufacturing business has ploughed £1.7m into a new site as it looks to cope with rising demand for its products.

Stephens Gaskets, Alston Road, which produces parts for the automotive industry, is moving into a new premises three times larger than its current one, increasing its output by up to 50 per cent to meet a growing surge in demand.

The new premises is on Hainge Road, Oldbury.

The company has seen a 20 per cent increase in turnover in the past year, increasing its workforce in the process.

It temporarily shifted its focus to helping produce PPE for frontline workers during the height of the Covid pandemic.

The huge new investment came in the form of a loan from Lloyds Bank.

Manager Piers Baynton said: “We saw demand shoot up last year and it quickly became apparent we would need to relocate somewhere bigger if we wanted to keep growing our business.

“The Lloyds team has been a constant source of support along the way and we’re delighted with the help they’ve offered us to get this over the line.”