A NORTH-EAST company supplying workwear and safety supplies has announced record year-on-year growth as it celebrates its tenth anniversary.

MI Supplies, based in Thornaby, near Stockton, has passed the annual £2m turnover mark in its first decade of trading, with figures increasing annually, and company profits double that of the industry standard.

Alex Ingham, the firm's managing director, said: “Naturally, I’m delighted with the results we’ve achieved over the past 10 years. My whole working life has been in this industry and so to see where we are today after opening back in 2005 with an empty warehouse, no stock and no customers, gives me a massive sense of achievement.”

Over the decade, MI Supplies has provided more than 24,000 different customers with workwear and safety clothing, as well as embroidering 182,000 logos onto branded garments.

Earlier this year, MI Supplies purchased its own premises on the Teesside Industrial Estate, giving it five times more warehousing space.

In addition, growth projections for MI Supplies are encouraging, with the company being on track to reach its target of £4m turnover by 2017. As a result, the company was named as the 18th fastest growing business in the workwear sector according to the industry’s Plimsoll Report.

Mr Ingham added: “There’s no doubt in my mind that a huge reason for our growth and continued success in the sector is down to the people we have working at MI Supplies. Without a motivated and engaged team who are passionate about what they do, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

“I’m told the industry standard for the average turnover per employee is £95,000 per annum. At MI Supplies, our average turnover per employee is £145,000 per annum. Of course, part of this is due to the extremely efficient processes and procedures we have in place, but a huge contribution is also that our staff care about quality, are passionate about what they do and offer an excellent customer experience. That’s why we enjoy so much repeat business and referrals – our clients value what it is we do for them and keep coming back to us for more.”

On average, MI Supplies, which employs 11 people, is recruiting an additional member of staff every six months to help keep up with demand for its products.