A FLOURISHING international chemical company is making a major investment in its Runcorn laboratories.

Manchester Organics, a world leader in fluorination, has pledged to keep its cutting edge research and development work at The Heath Business and Technical Park for a further 10 years.

The company has a skilled team of highly qualified chemists and moved its entire UK operation to the site in 2009.

Director Dave Tovell said:“We have around 40 employees and we will be upgrading our laboratories with major investment.

“The team at The Heath has a very flexible approach and they are comfortable with chemistry based companies.

“They support us in a number of ways.

“Their health and safety team complements our own and enables us to concentrate our efforts on our business.

“They take away the headache of having to manage the infrastructure of a fully serviced laboratory facility. We are very pleased to have signed the new agreement to stay.”

Lesley Lunt, sales and marketing manager of SOG, the business park’s owner, said: “We are delighted that Manchester Organics will continue its ground-breaking work here at The Heath.

“Committing to substantial investment in the laboratory facilities it uses, and to a 10-year licence, is a fantastic endorsement of the service we offer to the companies we have on site. We are very proud to have a world-renowned company like Manchester Organics at The Heath and wish the team continuing success in the future.”

Since 2000, SOG has transformed the former ICI HQ site into a thriving independent business park.

It is now home to more than 170 individual organisations, ranging from forensic science and IT specialists to website designers and government agencies.

It employs 1,800 people, more than in the heyday of ICI.