A COMPANY manufacturing motor oils for high-performance vehicles has made a six-figure investment.

Millers Oils, based at Brighouse, has pumped £500,000 into setting up a new research and development laboratory in a bid to continue its impressive record of year-on-year growth.

The new facility will help the firm develop new products and technology.

A focus of the laboratory will be on developing technology to help in the manufacture of products that reduce friction – a key growth area for oil and lubricant companies.

The new facility, based at the firm’s Brighouse headquarters, will also allow more in-house testing, analysis of used lubricants and quality control.

The company is confident the investment will pay off with superior products and higher sales.

Joint managing director Steve Woollven said: “It is unusual for a manufacturer to make this kind of investment at a time when the world economy is struggling.

“However, we are confident that the new facility will boost our bottom line as we improve our technology, products and the service we can offer our customers.

“Despite the recession, we have grown year-on-year and we see that continuing.”

The new research and development centre, which took seven months to complete, will house staff including chemists and technicians.

Meanwhile, old offices elsewhere on the site will be demolished to make way for the expansion of the factory.

Earlier this year, Millers Oils announced another year of increased turnover.

The firm is continuing to invest in developments to assist further growth.

Earlier this year, the company reached a landmark as turnover passed the £25m mark.

The firm, which supplies the automotive, motor sport, classic car and truck sectors, has more than doubled turnover in just five years.

In the past 12 months, the firm has added oil filtration services – crucial for manufacturers using hydraulic systems – to its range of activities and has continued to increase sales of its automotive oils and lubricants in the UK and across Europe.

The specialist oil and lubricant manufacturer is based in Brighouse with depots in Glasgow and Abingdon, Oxfordshire.