The Blackburn-based finisher, which currently has a turnover of £3m, has bought two secondhand Herzog + Heymann KL112 folding machines that will produce multi-concertina products as small as 18mm.

According to managing director David Nestor, the investment, which is estimated at around £50,000, will lead to at least 10 new roles at the company, taking its total staff to around 95.

Initially, First 4 will be launching First 4 Miniature, a specialist division within the company to complete the work, however Nestor said there is a possibility that First 4 may open a separate business.

He said: "This is very different to what we have done before, but in the last six months we have seen a real demand for it – the time was right to diversify.

"We aren't spending a fortune to start with, but we certainly expect this to grow. There aren't many people in our area doing this sort of thing so we see a lot of opportunity.

"Obviously, we will be targeting the pharmaceutical industry, but we will also be looking to cross-sell to our existing customer base."