A FLOORING company is investing £500,000 in a new wood division.

Planet Wood has been established by Darlington-based CreateCity which will initially sell its solid wood products through its seven Frank's Factory Flooring retail outlets.

In 18 months, it is expected to have six of its own brand stores throughout the region, creating about 40 jobs.

The wooden flooring offers an alternative to laminate and carpet. It is manufactured from English oak and available in three shades.

Each pack contains planks of varying lengths to give a more authentic effect.

Jason Maguire, managing director of Createcity, said customers were becoming more creative and diverse with their choices of floor coverings. "As a company we have to do the same. The introduction of solid wood products and the creation of this new division will have an impact on different areas of our business."

Once established, the brand will be sold independently and to selected independent flooring businesses through a new wholesale operation.

A fleet of new demountable transport units will allow next-day delivery of more than 300 pallets.

The units can be moved around the country by using just one wagon, reducing the number of vehicles the company has on the road at any one time.

CreateCity is the parent company of businesses run by brothers Frank, Billy and Jason Maguire.

They include Frank's Factory Flooring, Maguire's Carpets which is a wholesale division based in Whessoe Road, Darlington, and Cloverdale, a wholesale carpet operation with a range of 60 styles.

Frank's Contract Flooring, a commercial flooring section was established a year ago with an eye on new office developments in the region and now Planet Wood has been announced.

Six months ago CreateCity bought the George Reynolds' industrial estate, Shildon which gives it extra warehousing.

The brothers are keen to maintain a presence in Darlington, where they all live, and are deciding what to do with their Whessoe Road warehouses.