Flintshire-based Henrob is planning to create 100 new jobs over the next 18 months after acquiring an additional site in Deeside with the support of HSBC.

The manufacturer of self-piercing rivets has bought a 150,000 sq ft building adjacent to its existing 100,000 sq ft base on the Deeside Industrial Park and will operate the two sites in tandem. Having already taken on 70 new people in the past 12 months, it expects employee numbers to reach 300 by the end of next year.

The company secured a £5.2 million finance package from HSBC’s Liverpool Commercial Centre to buy the building and convert it from a warehouse to a production facility.

Finance director Philip Whitehead says: “This is a major investment, but one that we feel is necessary to support our business growth. We are constrained by our existing base, so this will give us the capacity to meet our customers’ current and future needs. We have grown rapidly in recent years, and we are experiencing strong global demand, so we expect that growth to continue.”

Henrob’s turnover grew from £23 million in 2012 to £42 million last year, and it is aiming for £50 million this year. It supplies its products primarily to the automotive sector, but they are also used by manufacturers of air-conditioning equipment and road signs.

It has operations in Germany, the USA and Australia, and it generates 80% of its sales in the export market.