A ROOF company which employs almost 250 people in Teesdale is increasing its workforce in the region by ten per cent in line with plans for a £1.5m expansion.

CA Roofing needs extra space to accommodate its North-East staff and machinery.

It employs 235 people at its factory in Evenwood, near Barnard Castle, and 265 others on a contract basis in sites around Britain. CA said it was looking to increase staff numbers by 26 during the coming year.

It is planning to spend £1m on a unit close to its base, and is investing £500,000 on two machines for rolling out corrugated sheeting.

Nigel Randon-Partis, the operations director, said yesterday: "We need the new equipment and extra space to keep up with demand. We hope to start building the new unit soon and to have it ready next year.

"We have started ten new workers this week. We are looking for six more at the moment and will need at least ten more next year. We mean to continue this steady growth for a while yet."

One of the two new machines has arrived from the US, and the other is due to come from Italy shortly. They will run faster to roll out corrugated sheeting to be fitted on industrial unit roofs all over the country.

The firm was started in 1983 by Neville Colegrove and Henry Agnew, who are now joint managing directors.

They have since bought out two others, Brian Atkinson and Richard Crane, who were their original partners.

The company name came from the fact that two of their surnames started with C and the other two with A. Mr Randon-Partis was the fifth member of the team, starting as shop floor foreman and organising the first workers.

He said yesterday: "You have to take your hat off to the two MDs.

"Over the years they have put a lot of money back into the business so it could keep on expanding."

The firm is having to rent some factory space at Shildon until the unit is completed.

The Evenwood workforce is made up of 165 on the shop floor and 70 office staff.

CA Roofing has applied to Teesdale District Council for planning consent for the unit, and members will get a report on it from planning officers soon.