A car parts manufacturer is expanding and creating more than 20 new jobs with the help of a £240,000 grant from One NorthEast.
The Regional Selective Assistance cash will also safeguard 79 existing jobs at VC UK LP on the New York Industrial Estate at Summerbridge, near Pateley Bridge, North Tyneside.
The company supplies vibration dampeners to car makers such as BMW, Ford Group, Toyota, Nissan, DaimlerChrysler and Honda which make for a more comfortable journey for motorists.
It is looking to develop a more advanced damping system at its base which will open up new opportunities for skilled workers.
The One NorthEast grant ensured VC UK was able to beat off stiff competition from a sister company in the Czech Republic to secure the new work.
UK Director Clive Wade said: "We are part of a German company with facilities in the Czech Republic.
"Wage levels there are significantly less than we pay in Britain but this grant gives us an advantage in terms of capital expenditure and productivity.
"That was the only way we could compete in terms of business and without that grant we would not have been successful in securing this new work."
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