New contracts for Sellafield Ltd’s supply chain will create up to 26 jobs and put tens of millions of pounds into the local economy.

Arco, the safety products provider, plans to create a new distribution centre at Lillyhall, close to Sellafield’s logistics hub, employing up to 10 people after winning an £11m contract to provide personal protective equipment (PPE).

And, as reported in in-Cumbria.com yesterday, Carlisle firm Bendalls Engineering is set to create 16 jobs in Cleator Moor after it won a £12m deal to provide tanks and vessels – a procurement which also saw Workington’s West Cumberland Engineering win £8m-worth of work.

Martin Chown, Sellafield Ltd’s supply chain director, said: “We are committed to ensuring our local communities derive maximum economic benefit from the money we spend at Sellafield.

“We do this by insisting that companies that win work with us invest to support local growth.

“I’m delighted that Arco, a leading UK company, and Bendalls, a home-grown business, will create jobs in west Cumbria as a result of winning work at Sellafield via an open and fair competitive process.

“This demonstrates the unique power of Sellafield Ltd - able to invest in the local supply chain and attract new businesses to the area.”

Sean Churchill, Arco’s regional sales manager for the north of England, said: “We’re delighted to have this opportunity to extend our longstanding relationship with Sellafield.

“As the UK’s leading provider of PPE, we are very much looking forward to working with Sellafield as we create a new supply chain infrastructure in west Cumbria.

“We will shortly begin the process of recruiting new colleagues from the local community who will help us to deliver our expertise in safety and to keep workers at Sellafield safe.”

Arco’s contract, worth up to £11m over a four-year period, will see the firm provide conventional, off-the-shelf PPE to Sellafield Ltd, Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd, International Nuclear Services, the Low Level Waste Repository at Drigg, Magnox Ltd and the National Nuclear Laboratory.