Window production has resumed at the site of Blairs Ltd , the Greenock-based joinery firm that went into administration in January.
Inverclyde firm Arranglen, which has interests in property, transport and manufacturing, struck a deal in March with receivers Ernst and Young to buy the five-acre site and framing machinery for an undisclosed sum.
Arranglen chairman James Easdale said in a statement the intention was to lease the premises and equipment to a third party with a view to re-establishing window manufacturing. This, he said, would “ create much-needed manufacturing jobs for the local area”.
A spokesperson at the site this week said that a new company, Blairs Windows had now taken over the site and started manufacturing on April 4.
“We are producing a similar range of products in both hardwood and softwood and aiming at the same customer base as Blairs Ltd,” he said.
Initially the new company has taken on 30 people, compared to the 113 employed by the previous business.
“The aim is obviously to increase this as the orders start to come in,” said the Blairs Windows spokesperson.
He added that initial market reaction to the restart of window production at the site had been “very positive”.
Blairs Ltd went into administration in January blaming cashflow problems due to the downturn.
Performance Timber Products reached an agreement to buy the assets and trades, but after undertaking due diligence pulled out of the deal. It had planned to retain a workforce of 60.
A number of timber suppliers were thought to be among the major creditors of the failed business.
