A long-established manufacturing company has announced plans to close its site in Birmingham to concentrate production at its main base in Bradford.

Mansfield Pollard, which specialises in ventilation systems, has confirmed it is to merge its two air-handling units with the creation of a new division based at the head office in Parry Lane, Bradford.

The opening of the new Mallard Euro Air division will result in the closure of the Euro Air manufacturing plant in Kingswinford, near Birmingham, with production moving to Bradford.

The company has now started consultation with the employees affected in the Midlands, where around 30 staff are based. Some are expected to move north to Bradford and have been offered relocation packages.

Martin Brown, sales director for Mallard Euro Air, said the move had been necessitated by the downturn in the market for the division's products.

It concentrates on the manufacture of air handling units - machines that help to drive air around buildings.

He said demand had fallen due to the popularity of new ventilation systems which use less fresh air and require fewer air handling units.

The Bradford site was the logical place to locate the division as it has been the subject of much investment in recent years, including a recent factory extension to increase production space by more than 25 per cent.

Mr Brown said: "It is unfortunate that we have had to close the Kings-winford site, but the changes in building design philosophy combined with the current economic climate do not allow us to operate two factories efficiently.

"Mansfield Pollard has invested heavily in the Bradford factory and we are confident that the increased production capacity will benefit all our customers."

Mansfield Pollard was founded in 1866 as a provider of metal works to the wool industry and today employs more than 100 people in Bradford.

It turns over around £8 million a year.

Mr Brown said the company was extremely busy at the moment and is heavily involved in work for Morrisons on its store conversion programme for the former Safeway shops.