A FATHER and son transport team hope to create jobs after embarking on a £1.5m expansion.

Brian and Simon Rudd have extended their luxury coach fleet to target European work after gaining a foothold across the UK and Ireland.

The duo are known for running Parkers Executive Chauffeurs, but say clamour for group travel has given them confidence to strengthen their sister Parkers Executive Coaches venture with new highend models.

Simon Rudd, managing director, said the commitment should also deliver jobs, with the company, which has an office in the Business Aviation Centre, at Durham Tees Valley Airport, seeking to add drivers to its 12-strong workforce.

Although admitting the endeavour was a “calculated risk”, he said the firm’s knowledge and industry repute from its chauffeuring service has more than held it in good stead, highlighting a contract to serve the Asian market as a prime example of its immediate success.

Mr Rudd added: “The majority of people who go into this market start with older, second-hand coaches for fear of losing their investment if it doesn’t work.

“This was never an option for us, so we made the biggest financial investment and personal commitment we have ever made as a business, being convinced we had come up with the right formula.

“This was a calculated risk but we had absolute faith that if we continued to provide customers with the same top quality experience and attention to detail we put in to our chauffeur business, we would succeed.

“The £1.5m investment is just the beginning and now we have a strong foothold nationally, our sights are set firmly on the European market.

“Everything we do is about duty of care to customers; it has been bred into our employees and is at the heart of our business.”

Parkers Executive Chauffeurs, which has offices on the banks of the River Tyne, has provided car travel since 1997 and is known for supporting blue-ribbon clients including British Airways and local organisations such as Newcastle University.

It also has experience of working with coatings firm AkzoNobel, which is ploughing millions into a Gateshead base to improve products and just days ago fended off a £22.7bn takeover bid by rival PPG Industries.