A COATINGS company which is working on parts for a car designed by Victoria Beckham is undergoing a £200,000 expansion after growing from single employee to 30 staff in less than a year.

Interplas Coatings NE was set up in the region last summer at Pallion industrial Estate, in Sunderland, and is expanding its 35,000 sq ft premises by a third after its continued success in winning contracts has prompted rapid growth.

Part of West Midlands-based Interplas Coatings, the North-East branch of the company was established by the 22-year-old firm’s founders, Narinder Mahi, Avtar Mahi and Jitender Mahi, after the company won a contract with Landrover Evoque parts from International Automotive Components' Sunderland base.

The firm has contracts with Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and was commissioned to complete the interior paint finishes for the Victoria Beckham Evoque edition, which includes a technically complex paint finish in high gloss piano black.

The company initially invested £800,000 in setting up the factory, and is now putting in another £200,000 to carry out the expansion.

Despite challenging economic conditions, the firm is already making a month-by-month profit which it is hoped will see it achieve a £1.6m turnover in its first year, ahead of target.

The company has recruited more staff to allow a second shift to begin. Each shift paints between 4,000 to 6,000 parts a day.

Interplas is in discussions with suppliers to Nissan about new business, and is also pursuing niche markets like Aston Martin.

Phil Stebbings, who was tasked with setting up the North-East factory, said: “When I began it was me and some orange boxes at a derelict site.

“Within four months there were 14 of us working in a comprehensively fitted out plant with two paint cells in operation, clean room, laboratory and warehouse.

“I can see Interplas’ niche market area growing because of our ability to provide high quality technical applications, alongside growth in our mass market contracts through investment in more robotic lines.”