A LLANDYBIE company has been awarded a grant of more than £91,000 to expand its headquarters.

Morgan Marine, based at the Cil-yr-Ychen Industrial Estate is receiving a Carmarthenshire Rural Enterprise Fund grant of £91,476.11 to extend the current property by 102 square metres, enabling the company to create eight new office jobs.

Morgan Marine was established in 1965 and makes advanced glass reinforced plastic (GRP) housings across the United Kingdom for major developments and utilities.

The firm currently employs more than 170 staff.

The £2m Carmarthenshire Rural Enterprise Fund was established to encourage rural businesses to develop new and existing premises, where new jobs are created.

The fund has been reopened with stage one applications being invited, to be received by September 7, 2017.

Morgan GRP Group Director Martyn Ingram said: “We are delighted to be able to further expand our operations thanks to the Carmarthenshire Rural Enterprise Fund.

“This extension will enable us to accommodate additional sales and engineering staff – four in year one and a further four in year two. We are proud to be a key employer in Carmarthenshire and it is pleasing to be able to offer additional, quality employment thanks to this expansion.

“This new facility will help us expand into new markets and, once complete, will provide around 4,500sqft of mixed office and meeting space. We are pleased to be able to engage a local contractor to do this work - JO Morris Ltd in Llandybie.”

Back in 2015 Morgan Marine unveiled a 16,000sq ft extension at its headquarters, which included a new reception area, opened by the Prince of Wales.

Carmarthenshire County Council Leader Cllr Emlyn Dole, who is the executive board member responsible for regeneration, said: “The Carmarthenshire Rural Enterprise Fund was established with the aim of creating jobs in rural Carmarthenshire.

“It does this by offering grant support to business in rural areas to upgrade their premises to create new employment opportunities.

"I’m pleased that we have been able to support Morgan Marine through CREF and would urge other businesses to make applications for support before the deadline.”

For details about the fund, contact Yvette Pellegrotti on 01267 242429, or e-mail ympellegrotti@carmarthenshire.gov.uk