Family owned Great Yarmouth laundry Camplings Linen has sealed the purchase of new premises in the town in a project likely to cost more than £4m over the next three to five years.

The company, which serves hotels and holiday parks on the east coast, aims to have completed the refit of the 30,000sq ft site in Owen Road, on the Harfrey's Industrial Estate, in time to start operating there from mid 2016.

The key development comes in the 10th anniversary year of Cambridge-based Swiss Laundry taking over the firm on the retirement of the previous owners Mr & Mrs P. Kerrison.

Director Mark Turvill said: 'The new site will enable us to improve our green credentials, something we have always taken very seriously.

'The new plant installation will be using the most up-to-date equipment and technology, helping us to improve our energy efficiency; we will see both improved recovery of water and improved heat exchange.'

It has yet to be decided whether Camplings will eventually close its existing site in Southtown Road.

'There will be a lengthy transition and we may keep it open if volume of trade demands it,' he said.

The sales completion has come at the end of a record summer for Camplings which saw it processing 350,000 pieces - anything from a duvet cover to a flannel - each week in the peak months.

Mr Turvill said: 'The business is growing from strength to strength; we have been taking on new customers but we have also seen a growth in demand from our existing customers due to increased occupancy or an expansion in the number of their rooms.'

He said it reflected the buoyant state of the tourism industry in Norfolk and Suffolk.

'The weather has played a big part in it, boosting staycations and the number of families making last-minute bookings,' he added.

Since the start of its Swiss Laundry chapter in 2004, more than £3m has been invested into Camplings' Yarmouth site.

As well as ongoing investment in new kit - 'continuous batch washers (large-scale washing machines) cost £700,000 new' - there has also been considerable development on the Southtown Road site.

He said: 'We have created a dedicated towel processing building and also upgraded our office accommodation, turning a number of small rooms into an airy, open-plan space.'

The number of Yarmouth-based staff has steadily risen over the decade to the present figure of just over 100, many of whom have been extremely loyal to the business with long service.

Mr Turvill said a key to their growth, which had seen turnover rise across the group from about £6m five years ago to £9m, was commitment to customer service.

He said: 'It is our mantra that 'service makes the difference' and that reflects in both the way we treat our customers and the quality of the cleaning.'

Their company ethos was underscored by their involvement in the EDP Tourism Awards as sponsor of the customer care category.