PETFOOD manufacturers Burgess Supafeeds of Pickering has invested £100,000 in new plant and equipment at its Cherry Tree Mill site at Pollington, near Goole.

An extra 30,000 sq ft of warehouse storage and new product blending technology will form part of a major expansion programme phased over a year to cope with increased sales.

The firm employs 79 people, 34 at its Thornton-le-Dale head office.

No immediate staff increases are foreseen but the investment is bound to safeguard the 45 jobs at the mill.

Among the firm's products are Supa Dog, Supa Rabbit and Excel.

John Carr, operations manager, said: "The new blending plant will provide greater product consistency and we are very keen to ensure the Burgess Supafeeds range remains at the forefront of the pet food market.

"We can now hold an extra 150 tons of raw materials and the added capacity for finished products on site will greatly improve stock rotation, while allowing us to hold more stock ready for customer orders."