A company which has developed the next generation of liquid roofing systems has attracted £750,000 investment from The North West Fund for Venture Capital and Lancashire’s Rosebud Fund, both of which are managed by Enterprise Ventures.
Centaur Technologies, based in Leyland, has produced a range of innovative systems for treating both new and existing roofs which offer significant benefits over existing products in terms of greater usability, lower cost and reduced environmental impact.
The business has been launched by former directors of Liquid Plastics in Preston – Jeremy Gorick, Phil Richardson and Bob Stanfield.
Jeremy, who was also until recently The High Sheriff of Lancashire, took over the Gorick family paints and coatings business in 1994 at the age of 32. He and his management team went on to revolutionise the roofing market with the introduction of liquid roofing membranes, and make Liquid Plastics the market leader. The business was sold to the Swiss company Sika in 2009. All three men left shortly after the sale.
At Centaur Techologies they have been joined by David Gill, the former Senior Partner of Moore & Smalley, as Non-Executive Director.
The North West Fund for Venture Capital, which is financed jointly by the European Regional Development Fund and the European Investment Bank, has provided £500,000 and Rosebud £250,000.
Paul Taberner from Enterprise Ventures said: “We are privileged to be able to support this exciting new company in Lancashire. The Centaur Technologies management team have played a leading role in this industry for 30 years. Their new venture will introduce a new generation of roofing membrane technology and has huge potential.”
County Councillor Jennifer Mein, leader of the county council, said: “The team behind Centaur Technologies brings extensive experience and previous success in the advanced manufacturing sector.
“These were an important factor in Rosebud choosing to fund this innovative start-up, which will create high-quality new jobs in the county. We’ve identified the advanced manufacturing sector as one of our priorities for economic development in Lancashire.
“In particular, Rosebud wants to support companies from high growth sectors such as aerospace; creative and digital; energy and environmental technology; financial and professional services, as well as advanced manufacturing.”
Keith Melling from Napthens in Preston provided legal advice to the Centaur team.