TWENTY jobs are to be created in Halesowen with the announcement that an automotive parts distributor is opening a branch in the town.

CES (UK) already employs more than 500 people across 20 branches in the North West, North Wales and the Midlands, but this will be its first in the Birmingham area.

The move for the company, which specialises in the supply of exhausts and catalysts, is part of a planned expansion after receiving major investment from a private equity firm last August.

Human resources manager Joanne Warren described it as a “timely boost for the area” in terms of job creation.

She said: “This is good news for both local garages and employment in the area.

“Running a successful branch requires a wide variety of skills. We’ll be looking to fill many different roles including management, sales, warehouse, driver and administrative positions.

“It’s important that our staff know the local area, so we’re hoping we can find the right people locally.”

The new branch will serve customers across the west of Birmingham and managing director Steve McCann believes that garages will benefit from the company’s presence.

“The customer is at the centre of everything we do. As usual we’ll be placing an emphasis on providing fast service and available stock. This will be backed with the indepth technical expertise and support that our branch staff provides. We’re sure local garages will benefit from our approach,” he said.

CES, which has a turnover approaching £50 million, plans to accelerate its growth plans over the coming years through opening more branches and acquisitions.

“The future for CES and its employees is very exciting. The company has enjoyed steady growth for many years. With the investment we’re now looking to expand more widely,” added McCann.

Recruitment for the Halesowen branch has begun and details of job opportunities can be found on its website cesuk.com