PRINTING business CMDK is about to break the £1m turnover barrier after three-years of expansion.

The business, based in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, was set up in 1995 and has quadrupled the number of staff to 18 in three years and doubled its floorspace to 11,000sq ft. It has also invested about £500,000 in equipment.

The company, which protects the environment by refusing to use oil-based inks, is on course to achieve £1m turnover in the next financial year.

CMDK has a number of high-profile clients, including Yamaha and the Territorial Army, and is in negotiations with several high-street retailers.

Founder and owner Mike Donnelly said the company's presses were operating 12 hours a day to meet demand.

He said: "I don't know of any other printer with the same commitment to the environment, but that's not the only reason business is going well.

"We have invested in a fantastic range of high-tech digital printing machines and are now reaping the rewards. Our technology is top of the range and right up to date - we can print almost anything, from small brochures to medium-sized signs, right up to enormous roadside bill boards."