AN entrepreneur is aiming to turn his love of travel into a £1m business.

Mark White set up M White International in his home town of Consett, County Durham, to import and distribute exotic furniture and goods.

He came up with the idea while working for a textiles company in Malaysia.

"My company has really been born from my love of travel," he said. "While I was working in Malaysia, I had this idea of sourcing new and different products for the UK market and came back home to try it out. I look for products that offer something different, so hopefully they sell themselves."

He hopes to turn over at least £100,000 this year and double that figure in 2006, rising to £1m by 2007.

He established the firm last November and has already had to move into larger premises on the Park Road South Industrial Estate in Blackhill.

The latest products to arrive in his showroom are homeware and textiles from Bali in Indonesia.