Commercial lighting firm WILA has opened a new 10,000 sq ft assembly and logistics operation in Abingdon.

The new base in Eastern Way comes in addition to its existing sales and marketing offices at the Grove Technology Park.

Nine people have been taken on at the operation, adding to the 30 existing staff in Wantage, and bosses hope to boost the workforce to more than 50 within a year.

Managing director Neil Condliffe said: “This facility will allow us to respond more effectively to our clients’ needs for products designed for very specific applications”.

“We have invested over the past two years specifically for the UK market and this operation will help us to deliver.”

Over the coming months WILA will invest about £1m in the new site, which will be managed by Andrew Gledhill.

He said: “This is a new step for WILA and a challenge to establish a new operation in a competitive market, but we feel that it is an important new direction for our business, one that should see big advantages for our customers.”