A BUSINESS which was once advised to consider leaving Bolton is to move into the flagship industrial development in the Tonge Valley. Erskine Ltd, which took over Lancashire Print Services in 1993, is to make the short trip from Blackburn Road to a major unit on the Riverside Industrial Estate in Waters Meeting Road. Bolton City Challenge and principal developer William Hargreaves Ltd are transforming 75 acres of previously derelict land into a major development called "The Valley."

Kelvin Butterworth of William Hargreaves said today that they had exchanged contracts for Erskine to lease Unit 15 for 10 years and would now fit out the premises to provide 9,000 sq ft of single storey offices and 14,000 sq ft of warehouse/workshop space.

Erskine Ltd, which is one of the country's major suppliers of photocopiers, fax machines and other office equipment, is expanding the Bolton operation due to an increase in business.

The company hopes to move into its new Bolton home - a regional headquarters which covers Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Yorkshire and Scotland - in August this year.

There are currently 99 employees.

Lancashire Print Services of Bentinck Street, Farnworth hit the headlines in 1985 when management and local MPs took offence at Department of Trade and Industry advice that the company would be better off if it solved a re-location problem by moving out of Bolton to Liverpool, where grants were more generous.

Bolton Council later helped the firm move into the former Trutex factory in Blackburn Road - keeping 75 jobs in the town.

Three years ago Lancashire Print Services became part of Erskine Ltd, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alco Standard Corporation of America - the largest independent copier distribution network in the world with more than 36,500 employees around the globe.

A spokeswoman for Erskine said today that the loyal, local workforce was a major consideration in the decision to stay in Bolton when the Blackburn Road lease expires.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.