FURTHER growth is planned by a specialist protective cover manufacturer which counts royalty and celebrities among its clients.

Specialised Covers is looking to expand in the bespoke vehicle cover market and beef up production at its Dockfield Road, Shipley, site.

Part of a recent £450,000 investment programme included state-of-the-art cutting and sewing technology to operate alongside traditional hand craft skills.

The firm, which was established in 1981 by owners Douglas and Carole Long, who developed the derelict 18,000 sq ft Shipley site after moving from smaller premises in Bradford.

It has a turnover of just over £3 million which it plans to grow by winning new clients and boosting export sales from the current ten per cent.

Specialised Covers has also achieved 12.5 per cent year-on-year growth which looks set to continue over the next year.

The firm, which employs 56 staff, supplies major automotive brands such as Audi, Bentley, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes, McLaren and Formula One Teams and is also the preferred supplier for major caravan manufacturers such as Swift , Bailey, Xplore Group and Lunar Caravans as well as selling direct to consumers through its relaunched website.

It designs, manufactures and supplies bespoke tailored vehicle covers for cars, caravans and motorcycles. The product range includes both indoor and outdoor protective covers, production equipment covers and towing covers for caravans.

Gavin Hughes, managing director, who joined the business two years ago, said:“The market in which we are operating has grown exponentially over the past five years – people are investing in high end and classic cars so they want to protect and preserve them to keep them looking their best.

“The caravan market continues to grow and this is an area in which we are seeing the biggest demand – protecting caravans with storage and towing covers saves hours of cleaning and decreases depreciation.

“Our relationship with own equipment manufacturers, distributors, dealerships and resellers has never been stronger and as a result we are continually looking to re-invest in the sustainability of our future business.

“Our next strategic move will be to create space for further growth, particularly in the employment of local staff.

“We are also considering an apprenticeship scheme to offer opportunities for local youngsters interested in developing skills at a growing business.

“We are thrilled that after 35 years we’re still regarded as the authority in the industry and hope to build on this success for the next 35 years.”