A North-East upholstery repair business is recruiting additional staff and expanding its premises to meet strong demand from well-heeled clients in one of London's most exclusive shopping streets.

Furniture Clinic, which also comprises sister company Handbag Clinic, plans to employ an additional eight employees before the end of this year, including two new apprentices. A total of 39 members of staff are employed, two thirds of them in the North-East.

The business, which was started by managing director Ben Staerck’s father Keith 10 years ago, has completed a significant expansion of its premises at Burnopfield, near Stanley, County Durham, which has increased floor space from 12,500 to 16, 500 sq ft. The Hobson Industrial Estate site offers a wide range of services from leather repair and re-trimming to French polishing.

As part of its growth strategy £40,000 has been invested on the factory interior, and to equip the department with new spray booths, benches, sewing machines, tools and machinery.

Handbag Clinic, which provides a repair and refurb service for handbags, operates a store on the fashionable King's Road, Chelsea.

Ben Staerck, said: “We’re delighted to announce the opening of our new extended and refurbished premises following this major investment in facilities.

“The increased work space has allowed the combined businesses to increase capacity by over 300 per cent. For Handbag Clinic, this allows more bags to be cleaned, repaired and restored; something which is vital after the success of the London Store.

“For Furniture Clinic, this allows for an increase in office space, production and warehousing helping the business to cope with rapidly increasing demand and to facilitate expansions into export markets. Thirty per cent of Furniture Clinic’s client base is currently made up of overseas sales, and there is further room for sustained growth.”

He added: “We’re confident that our investment in facilities will ensure that we meet, and even exceed, growth targets."