KNOWSLEY-BASED Total Glass is generating extra revenue in the recession by renting out surplus space in its factory to healthcare tenants.

The trade window and door fabricator has entered into a long-term letting contract with Synergy Health, which delivers a range of specialist out-sourced services to healthcare providers.

Over the next 15 years, Synergy will be using a quarter of Total’s 100,000 sq ft premises at Knowsley Business Park to provide hospital decontamination services for reusable medical and surgical equipment.

This means up to 250 people will now be employed at Total’s purpose-built unit, which opened in 2005.

The 25,000 sq ft area at the end of the unit became available following significant investment in new equipment for making PVC-U and aluminium windows and doors.

More than £1m has been spent in the last 18 months. This contributed to greater production efficiency and freed up room that had previously been taken up with many separate machines.

Total Group managing director Frank Deary said: “Continued investment in more efficient machinery means we can work out of less space, but our capacity to produce thousands of windows and doors per week is not affected and we still have more than enough space to grow.”

Total Glass, founded by Mr Deary in the early 1980s, is part of the Total Group. It includes five companies, supplying a broad range of home improvement products to the trade, local authority and social housing sectors.

He added: “As any forward-thinking company knows, it makes sense to make use of all your assets and earn money from space that would otherwise be empty.

“Synergy’s move to our premises means there will now be up to 250 local people employed under our roof and we welcome their presence here.”

Total Glass recently won the Best Small Business Award for outstanding performance in the Knowsley Economic Forum Enterprise Awards 2008.

Judges praised the firm for its focus on training and employment growth, along with its commitment to product quality and sound business principles. Earlier this month, Total Glass was a Supplier of the Year finalist in the 2009 Housing Excellence Awards.