ONE of south Durham's most successful companies is taking on 60 new staff to sell its products directly to homes all over Europe.

Another 20 manufacturing workers have already been taken on by Ebac Ltd, in Bishop Auckland, in advance of the direct marketing drive which is being backed by a £1m advertising campaign.

The company is a world leader in its field, turning out more than 250,000 dehumidifiers and water coolers in a typical year at its Bishop Auckland factory.

Its domestic products are sold through major retail outlets around the world, while Ebac Industrial Products has contracts to supply air conditioning systems to military and rail groups. Last year, The Northern Echo gave Ebac the first Working for a Future award at the County Durham Business Show, recognising its commitment to the North-East region.

Group human resources director Margaret Elliott said: "We are always looking for new markets and developing new products.

"This is the first time we have sold directly to the public and it doesn't mean we will stop selling through our retail outlets.

"No company can afford to stand still in today's competitive environment and we are no exception."

The new jobs are all based at Ebac's headquarters and include 40 direct selling agents and 20 product advisors.

The company hopes to have people in place for the start of the marketing campaign in November.

Mrs Elliott added: "This is a substantial investment and job creation activity for the region.

"We will employ local people in valuable skilled roles that will develop further and grow into a long-term sales channel for Ebac."

The company was founded by John Elliott in 1972 and grew to become one of Europe's most successful manufacturing companies.