Welshpool jobs boost as firm reveals £500,000 expansion

Twelve new roles have been created at Chemostrat, which has refurbished an old warehouse beside its offices on the Buttington Cross Enterprise Park.

The new offices, which were supported by a £100,000 grant from the Welsh Assembly, were officially opened by Welsh Economy Minister Edwina Hart yesterday.

To obtain the grant, the company had to create 10 jobs by next April, and having already brought in eight new staff is now planning for further growth, with four more starting in September.

In total, the company employs around 80 people worldwide, including approximately 60 in Welshpool.

"This is a growing company helping multi-national companies to make enormous decisions across the globe," Ms Hart said.

"I am very proud this is in Welshpool, and proud that as a government we have been able to help in this. It's a pleasure to be able to see something so different."

The company analyses rock samples from areas where oil drilling is to take place to help create a map of an oil reservoir, which can improve precision and efficiency for petroleum companies. The move into the new offices has freed up space in Chemostrat's existing building, which will allow it to expand its laboratory and grow again in the future.

It has also invested in new equipment which will allow it to analyse rock samples in the field. As well as the headquarters in Welshpool, the company also has offices in Houston in Texas, Perth in Australia, and Calgary in Canada.

Co-founder and managing director Tim Pearce added: "This investment and expansion will enable us to offer an even better service to the industry and allow us to bring in-house work that was previously outsourced."