ADVANCED imaging company e-comeleon has begun its international expansion with a step into the US.

The business, from Tanfield Lea, Stanley, County Durham, has opened a new technical and production centre in Cary, Wake County, North Carolina.

The operation will spearhead the company's plans to break into the growing US market with its innovative digital imaging process, which applies high resolution full colour decorative images to electronic consumer goods such as mobile phone covers.

North Carolina was selected because of its proximity to main markets and the growing reputation of the area for the development of technology driven businesses.

e-comeleon floated on the Alternative Investment Market in December last year.

The US factory will eventually employ more than 150.

The headquarters design and production operations will stay in Stanley, where the company is currently establishing manufacturing operations in a 40,000sq ft factory.

The County Durham operation will employ 100 people by the end of the year, with the plan to employ 350 staff in two years.

Roy Stanley, chief executive of e-comeleon, said: "We are essentially following the business plan we unveiled as part of our original flotation plans.

"We have made significant progress in developing European applications for e-comeleon technology and the considerable market potential provided by the US means locally based production facilities will be essential to meeting increased demands for our designs.

"As an indication of the potential which exists in the US market, currently only 39 per cent of the population possesses a mobile phone compared to about 80 per cent in Europe. As the US market develops in the next two years, a significant proportion of new phones will incorporate replacement fascias of the type utilising images and designs applied by the e-comeleon process."

e-comeleon has already got "approved supplier" status with mobile phone manufacturers in Europe, and now has its sights set on the US