A COMPANY which makes and sells bath and body products is looking to triple turnover after investment from one of the region's leading business figures.
Brother and sister Shaun and Danielle Dunn, who run Fresh Deli, want to open a chain of shops and double the amount of stands they run in Debenhams department stores.
And the North Shields business - which started life four years ago on a Spanish market stall - is also expanding its network of sales agents from 20 to 200 and is improving its website, as it looks to increase turnover from £100,000 to more than £300,000 in the next year.
The dramatic expansion plans come in the wake of an investment - of an undisclosed, but "significant" amount - from North-East businessman Sir Peter Vardy, who is also giving the company guidance on expansion.
Fresh Deli, which makes its products at a factory in Shiremoor, North Tyneside, and has franchises in ten Debenhams stores, has plans to treble the size of its 650sq ft premises and increase its workforce.
Miss Dunn, who first began selling bath and beauty products on a market stall in Majorca before going into business with her brother, said they were looking to expand beyond the three shops, in Alnwick, Hexham, in Northumberland, and Newcastle's Green Market.
"Initially, we wanted to open shops in market towns in this region, but now are in a position to look at establishing shops all over the UK," she said.
"Everything has changed for us now - the business has been snowballing, but we didn't really have the funds to take it much further, but with this new investment, we can."
Mr Dunn said the business planned to invest in technology to enable the company's website to accept and process large orders quickly.
"In this business, the overheads can be very high and the vast majority of our business happens in the final quarter of the year around Christmas, so in that respect it can be difficult," he said.
"We are very confident now in going forward. We have always known exactly what we wanted to do and how we wanted the business to grow.
"We are a North-East company and are really pleased that a major North-East figure like Sir Peter is supporting us."
Sir Peter said three and five-year plans had been drawn up giving Mr and Miss Dunn the option to buy back the equity as the business developed.
"I'm very happy to support young, passionate entrepreneurs who want to develop their businesses in the North-East," he said.
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