BURY-based furniture manufacturer Displad is on the right tracks for success, thanks too efforts of Business Link Bolton and Bury and the Business Environment Association (BEA). In a three-year partnership, the company's turnover has risen from £290,000 to over £l million a year, with staff levels having more than doubled. Eva Gore, Displad's Director, explained: "We needed a special machine, which was very expensive. We applied for a Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) grant which offered us a percentage of the capital cost, and this is where Business Link came in.

"Personal Business Advisers, Malcolm Naylor and Mike King were absolutely fantastic to work with. Their advice and moral support was second to none, and with their help, we completed our application successfully. The best part was all the help was free.

"We then wanted to make our machine shop cleaner, and thanks to our PBA Mike King we were introduced to the Bury Business Environmental Association. This clean-up process was to be an expensive one, but with Mike's help, we did it. Our staff are currently reaping the benefits of a cleaner, safer and fresher internal environment together with less emissions externally.

"Mike Kinsella at the BEA was able to highlight a major problem we had with our existing dust extraction process. It was only sucking out hot ?air, not dust, and through the support of the Energy and Environment Grant Assistance scheme we were able to install a more efficient extraction system.

"It was a very lucky day for me when I bumped into Business Link Bolton and Bury," says Eva. "There is always someone who can help and it is a great asset to small businesses. If you don't have lots of money you want Business Link Bolton and Bury behind you."

Personal Business Adviser Mike King said: "This is an example of how business agencies can work together effectively for the benefit of the business community helping companies on a long-term basis. Business Link help is a marathon not a sprint." ?

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.