Staff celebrated the 40th anniversary of a medical device manufacturer which has expanded from Kent to China and the USA.

Integrated Technologies Limited, known as the ITL Group, is contracted by businesses to design and make life-saving products at its headquarters in Ellingham Industrial Centre, Ashford.

Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green helped chief executive Tom Cole cut the cake marking the firm’s four decades at a birthday celebration in Lympne Castle.

Ashford MP Mr Green said: “It was great to help ITL celebrate their 40th birthday, as a world-class company grown and based in Ashford, which has just the right outward-looking attitude to provide long-term success.”

Since launching as Wilj International on February 25, 1977, it has completed more than 400 projects and established operations in Shanghai and Virginia.

The company, which employs about 100 people and made a profit of £1.5 million last year, began life developing gamma counters for radio-immunoassays.

Today, its work includes surgical robots, cancer treatment, patient-connected medical devices and next generation DNA sequencing.

In 2013 a management buyout saw directors Paddy Greenwood, Tom Cole and Greg Smith complete take control of the business from its previous Swiss owners.

Mr Cole said: “This is such an exciting time for us and it’s great to celebrate this anniversary with our loyal employees from all over the globe.

“We’re nothing without the expertise and dedication of our team so for the 40 th anniversary what was most important to us was saying thank you to them.

“The industry has come a long way in the last four decades and we’ve seen significant developments in the processes and technology that we use, however what hasn’t changed is our ethos – to enhance lives through medical technology.”

The company has undergone a rebrand of its logo to mark its 40th anniversary.