Fulcrum Films, which supplies polypropylene bags for wrapping greeting cards, is expanding again.

The firm at Warwick Mill Business Village, near Carlisle, wants to add a 4,133ft sq ft extension to provide additional warehousing and storage space.

This follows a £300,000 investment last year in a state-of-the-art Kora Packmat volume bagging and packing machine from Germany.

This can bag cards and envelopes, attach pricing stickers and add branding.

Previously, Fulcrum sent its bags to customers who inserted the cards by hand.

The investment was part-funded by a £25,000 grant from Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership.

At the time, Fulcrum’s managing director Ray Clarke, who co-founded the business in 1998, predicted that turnover would rise by around 20 per cent as a result of being able to offer an automated service.

Now Simtor Limited, which owns Warwick Mill, has submitted a planning application for the extension to Carlisle City Council.

It says that the proposed development has been designed to blend sympathetically with the existing listed buildings and allow Fulcrum Films to streamline its processes, safeguarding 16 jobs there and pave the way for expansion.

The development will boost Fulcrum’s footprint by more than 50 per cent.

Simon Long, managing director at Warwick Mill, said: “This development is the latest stage in ensuring the viability of a historic industrial site.

“There is a growing need for good quality small to mid-sized industrial units, not just in Carlisle but in Cumbria as a whole.

“By working with our long-term clients Fulcrum Films, we hope to provide a secure quality base for them in the area for years to come.”

Warwick Mill Business Village is home to 54 businesses.

Originally a textile mill, it now houses a mix of industrial units, meeting rooms and office space. Simtor also owns Fisher Street Galleries and car parking in Castle Street, Carlisle.

Mr Long was named entrepreneur of the year’in the 2015 Carlisle Living Awards.