THE company that designed the scaffolding for the Sage Music Centre is to invest £400,000 in its business, creating 20 jobs.

Project Scaffolding has won backing from UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE) to help expand the business.

UKSE is a subsidiary of steelmaker Corus, and backs new and growing businesses in areas where the steel industry was once dominant.

The company employs 150 people, and most of the investment will be used to increase the workforce and provide skills training.

Barry Emmerson, managing director of the Middlesbrough company, has worked in the industry for more than 35 years and said he had "never known it to be so busy".

Project Scaffolding designs and provides scaffolding for civil and industrial construction projects.

It has customers that include Balfour Beatty, Shepherd Construction, Miller Construction, Fabricom and John Mowlem.

The company has also won a series of contracts with local authorities across the UK, and has a satellite office in Scotland, where turnover has doubled in eight months.

Mr Emmerson said: "Obviously, there was a great deal of competition for the Sage contract and we were delighted to win it.

"A lot of advance design and planning went into it and it is very satisfying to see the building in operation now.

"We have grown substantially in five years and expect to need larger premises in the near future. Our order book is in excellent shape and we have every confidence in the future."