A COUNTY Durham company is winning orders and has seen turnover double thanks to help from an export scheme in the region.

IMS Engineering, of Tursdale, Durham, specialises in the design and manufacture of chain conveyors for the glass and recycling industry.

After its launch four years ago, the company signed up to the Passport to Export Success programme in May 2002 and has seen turnover more than double to £500,000 this year - with about 50 per cent of that accounted for by overseas trade. Sales director Neil Johnson said: "We worked closely with our international trade advisor to draw up an export action plan and to find out how best to break into new markets.

"With UK Trade and Investment's support, we exhibited at Glasstec, the world's largest glass exhibition, in Dusseldorf, in November 2002.

"This led to us appointing agents covering Germany, Austria, Poland, New Zealand and Australia and we received inquiries worth £495,000 during the week we were at the exhibition.

"Working with our German agent, we are about to secure two orders and there are another two pending."

Jeff Thompson, UK Trade and Investment's international trade advisor at Business Link County Durham, said: "The company was initially sceptical about whether we could help, but with the advice and support available through Passport it has reached many new clients around the world by attending industry exhibitions."