The 293-employee firm has sent a questionnaire to its employees asking for their opinions on a series of alternative sites to the current central Wakefield location.

The specialist point-of-purchase printer has also applied for outline planning permission to redevelop its current plant, which it owns.

One option for the site would be a 130-apartment residential development. Several possible new sites have been proposed to the staff, in the Wakefield area, Barnsley and a site at Shelburn-in-Elmet, 20 miles away. The preferred site at this stage is at junction 40 of the M1, to the west of the town, as it is closest to the current premises.

Mark Shaw, bezier managing director, said: "Ideally we would like to relocate to within the Wakefield area. The staff's views will be the key deciding factor."

A decision on whether to move has not yet been made, but were the company to move it would probably opt for a purpose-built plant.

Shaw also insisted that that jobs would not be threatened by any possible move. "In fact, should we move, it will be as a result of growth, bringing more jobs to the region," he said. "Recent success has resulted in rapid company growth, with turnover for the [current] Balne Lane site trebling since it started trading as bezier in 1998."

Bezier has also won a Waste Minimisation Award in the Wakefield District Environmental Awards held earlier this month. The judges commended bezier for its "determined efforts at waste segregation by recycling virtually all paper and board from the factory."

Bezier, which also has sites in Bristol and Poole, recently won a multi-million pound contract to print PoP products for Asda (PrintWeek, 29 January 2004).

Story by Josh Brooks