A RECESSION-busting Gwendraeth Valley business has carried out ambitious improvements to its Cross Hands headquarters.

NR Evans Logistics has completed a new cold store facility at its Parc Menter base, which became fully operational from November 19.

The expansion has come thanks to “a significant increase in activity over the last six months as a result of winning new contracts and additional demand from existing customers”.

The company is also investing in new workshop andMoTtesting facilities in Cross Hands, which are expected to be completed early in the New Year.

The move means the company has invested more than £500,000 in its Cross Hands premises, 80 per cent of which has been spent on using local contractors.

The firm has also spent in excess of £3million increasing its lorry fleet to meet the increase in demand across the UK, boosting its UK-wide workforce and expanding its Welsh staff numbers by some 30 per cent.

Company founder and managing director Neil Evans said: “This is a very exciting time for the company and I am very pleased with the progress we have made in recent years.

“I am particularly pleased that we are able to create new employment opportunities in the current economic environment.”

Mr Evans added that the current expansion was unlikely to be the last.

“I anticipate further growth in 2013 across all of our activities throughout the UK,” he said.