A FAMILY-RUN business in Clacton which started in a garage is now taking on the world.

Brothers David and Laurence Sage launched Dalau in 1955 after recognising the opportunity presented by synthetic plastic PTFE, then a relatively new material.

They began by using a basic press and the family cooker to process the plastic at their home.

More than 60 years on, the company has recently invested £1.6million in state-of-the-art machinery and exports plastics for the aerospace, medical, electronic, semiconductor, chemical, engineering and automotive industries to 35 countries.

The company, which employs more than 90 people, last week invited Clacton MP Giles Watling for a tour of the new machinery at its head office in Ford Road (pictured).

“Here is an amazing company in the middle of Clacton which is a truly global enterprise,” said Mr Watling.

“It is yet another example of the hidden greatness of Clacton and we must celebrate all that is good.

“Dalau has gone from making small insulators to the blocks that hold up the Sydney Opera House.

“They sell to China the United States and all other places in between.”

As well as making plastics that are used by the medical industry and the NHS, the company has also precision machined parts for Mercedes’ Formula One cars and the new X1 road car, Zodiac Airbus and Automotive and Siemens blood filters.

The firm also helped in the construction of the Sydney Opera House by supplying slide pads, on which the landmark is built. The slide pads allow movement during tidal surges.

Managing director David Sage, son of founder David, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Giles Watling to our facility and have the opportunity to show him round and for him to see our advanced technical capabilities.

“We have invested £1.6m in the state-of-the-art machining centres.

“We have developed new products for the fast-growing hydrogen fuel cell market that powers the new hybrid cars.”

The company, which also has a site in Brunel Road, Clacton, also has subsidiaries in are in Merrimack, USA, and Türkheim, Germany.