Two Bradford firms 400 yards apart have joined forces to become a bigger and better engineering unit.

The H Group, owned by businessman Allan Hunter, has added Paige Manufacturing Systems, based on the Birksland Industrial Estate, to its precision engineering subsidiary H Group Precision Ltd.

And the takeover allows the H Group to boost its turnover by £350,000 to £1.35 million and boost its workforce from 26 to 30.

Paige Manufacturing Systems was set up by Andrew Barry nine years ago and saw its business build up. A few months ago Mr Hunter bought Mr Barry's business in a bid to expand his own group further.

H Group is based at the former headquarters of T Bowers in Blanche Street, Laisterdyke which has operated in Bradford as a limited company since 1946 although it can trace its origins to the days of the last century.

The takeover gives the group more scope to manufacture machine components for a number of industries, especially the petrochemical industry.

Mr Hunter said: "By acquiring small business units with limited opportunities and joining them together, in three years, we have created a group with sales in excess of £1 million per annum and almost 30 employees. We are creating a service company that makes things and in so doing we solve problems for our customers and create opportunities for ourselves.

"We are also always looking for businesses with complementary activities that will expand our services and grow the Group. There is no doubt that experience working in venture capital has helped development of the company so far."

With a background as a manufacturer of cutting tools and measuring equipment, over the years the company has added a range of lathes and machining equipment which has helped it expand.

Michael Knight joined H Group Precision as technical sales manager after the takeover.

He said: "The takeover provides H Group with more scope on its engineering side with additional lathes and machining tools added to the ones already in place at H Group Precision Limited."

The H Group also includes a Signs Division which provides everything from lapel badges for conference delegates, through to panel fronts and nameplates for machine manufacturers.

Major projects have included the relocation of machine tools to the new training centre being created by National Power at Ferrybridge Central Engineering Workshops and quick response maintenance support to the new owners of Drax power station after the recent fire in a major transformer facility.

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