BUSINESS bosses are celebrating two multi-million pound investments in Bolton.

Missile company MBDA and personal injury solicitors Asons have now both received permission from councillors to kick-start work on ambitious new headquarters, as reported in The Bolton News.

MBDA, which has been based in Lostock for the past 80 years, will build a new manufacturing plant in Logistics North, while Asons is set to spend £7 million creating a five-storey office complex just off Topp Way.

Keith Davies, director of development and regeneration, applauded the applications as a sign that Bolton is turning a corner out of recession, and proving itself as a place to do business.

He said: “We are really, really pleased — now that the planning approvals are in place, it’s all systems go for both of these application to come to fruition.

“MBDA’s application is the result of many months of discussions between us, them and Harworth Estates, and Logistics North came forward as the best option for them — in many respects it was an easy sell.

“And it’s great working with people like Imran Khan, MD of Asons. He is absolutely passionate about Bolton and making sure he can be part of the Bolton of the future.”

Mr Khan said he was incredibly excited about his firm’s expansion into the Clarence Street area.

He added: “While we have extensive plans for growth and development, both home and abroad, our headquarters will always remain local.

“Bolton is my hometown, and I am proud to live and work here. The approval for our new building really is the icing on the cake, and we look forward to sharing our bright future with Bolton.”

A spokesman for MBDA said the firm welcomed the approval of the council to build a new facility at Logistics North.

He added: “This multi-million pound investment will create a state-of-the art facility to achieve the dual goals of sustaining MBDA’s support to customers and simultaneously ensuring the retention and development of manu-facturing skills in the company.

“This is an important development given our very long association with the area and demonstrates our faith in the capabilities of our highly skilled workforce here. We will now work together with our development partners to progress the application.”