Manchester-based M&I Materials, a world leader in commercialising materials for demanding applications, opened a new manufacturing line last month with help from the Greater Manchester Export Fund (GMEF).

The new facility provides additional capacity for the manu-facture of M&I’s Midel — a biodegradable ester transformer fluid.

CEO Giles Salt (www.mimaterials.com) said: “We export to leading companies in over 60 countries.

“This investment allows us to further expand our footprint and secure and create local manufacturing jobs.”

Richard Jeffery, director of business growth at The Growth Company, which administers GMEF, said: “M&I Materials is a fascinating company with a presence in Manchester since the 1940s, and it is one of the area’s real success stories.

“It’s fantastic to see this new facility, and I’m looking forward to watching the business go from strength to strength.”

This investment follows the launch of a new production facility in the USA and the opening of Africa’s first ester transformer fluid factory in Johannesburg.

The company also benefitted from the Innovation Vouchers scheme, which enables small and medium-size enterprises to apply for funding to access expertise and specialist facilities at Greater Manchester’s universities.