WORKERS at a Teesside plant are celebrating after bosses pledged a £30m investment.

The DuPont Textiles and Interiors business at the Nylon Wilton Site has announced the investment in its Nylon Intermediates facility. The work is scheduled for completion at the end of 2004.

This investment to modernise the facility will provide state of the art, environmentally-friendly process technology as well as next generation control technology.

While no new jobs will be created, the investment will reinforce the future viability of the facility which employs 375 people making nylon intermediates and polymer.

In addition, at the peak of the construction period, 400 contractors will be working on the installation of the project. Total investment since the DuPont acquisition of the facility in 1993 now stands at £250m.

John Anderson, DuPont Nylon site manager, said: "Completion of the seven-year-long modernisation programme provides us with every opportunity to build a sustainable operation in the Tees Valley.

"We believe we can compete more effectively in a global marketplace by harnessing this improved technology, continued training and development of our employees, and continuing the excellent work with our engineering and chemical industry partners within the Tees Valley."

Welcoming the news, Dr Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said: "I'm very pleased at this announcement. It shows that DuPont is committed to the Wilton site and to the UK.

"The Wilton site powered Britain's bulk chemical expansion in the post-war years, and today's announcement shows that Wilton will be powering ahead into the 21st Century.

"I am pleased that existing jobs on the plant are now safeguarded, and that the investment programme will, in addition, be creating many hundreds of local constructing and commissioning jobs."

The Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland, Coun Eric Jackson, said: "It is wonderful news for the area that DuPont is willing to invest so much money to modernise its facility at Wilton.

"The investment will help to secure jobs and boost confidence at the Wilton Site."