A LONG-established manufacturing firm that has been based in Shipley for 40 years has announced it is moving to new premises outside the town.

Don Whitley Scientific Limited has been based at its plant in Otley Road, Shipley, for the past four decades, but next month will move its operations to a new base in Bradford Road, Bingley.

The family-owned firm is a leading international supplier of innovative equipment and services to the microbiology and tissue culture industries.

It develops, manufactures, markets and services instrumentation and associated products for both the public and private sector, primarily for use in hospitals, public health laboratories, food testing organisations, pharmaceutical companies and research institutions.

The move from Shipley to Victoria Works in Bingley will take place from Wednesday, June 13, to Sunday 17, with the new business fully operational at its new base from Monday, June 18.

Explaining the move, managing director Paul Walton said Don Whitley Scientific had grown out of its premises.

He said: “Our business has expanded considerably, particularly over the last 10 years. Despite having purchased numbers 16 and 18 Otley Road, we have still outgrown our current facilities.

“When Victoria Works came up for sale, providing 48,100 sq ft, we knew this would be the right move for us.

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“The Bingley premises will provide us with the space to organise ourselves more efficiently and still have room to expand.”

Before Don Whitley Scientific can move in, the new premises is undergoing a major refit to make it suitable for the company’s needs.

A large amount of new warehousing capacity will be created along with new offices, a bespoke production area, service centre, research and development mezzanine, and improved staff facilities including an air-conditioned canteen.

A new product showroom will also be created where customers can view demonstrations of the latest workstation technology.

The company currently employs 70 people spread across the countries and two continents, with small subsidiaries in Germany and Australia, but the majority of staff are based in Bradford.

Over the years the company has created a stream of innovative products, and in 2010 founder Don Whitley received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bradford for his services to applied microbiology.