A BLACKBURN company is bucking the trend in the footwear industry with the launch of its own brand of British-made shoes.

With the once-mighty industry all but wiped out in East Lancashire, Joan Cope has unveiled its spring and summer collection of comfort shoes after the successful debut of its first catalogue.

The man behind the renaissance is Peter Reed, managing director of Reed Medical, whose factory at the Shadsworth Business Park is the largest manufacturer of orthopaedic shoes in Britain.

The move into mainstream footwear came about when Clarks Shoes pulled out of manufacturing at Kendal last year. "We had always had a relationship with Clarks and they asked if we would be interested in buying some machinery and taking on some of their staff," said Peter.

"Reed Medical only supplies the NHS and I had already been thinking about expanding into the retail market and it was an ideal opportunity. To have someone like Clarks come to us was an opportunity that only comes around once in a lifetime. We bought the machinery, installed it in an industrial unit in Altham and brought five of the staff from Kendal."

The Joan Cope brand was named after the first two letters of the names of the four directors, John Vause, Andy Alston, Colin Webb and Peter Reed. According to Peter, the name was chosen because it was one to which their customer base could relate.

Joan Cope concentrate on women's comfort shoes which are designed for the more mature customer. The aim is to manufacture quality shoes that are stylish yet supremely comfortable.

"There is no other British manufacturer in that market and the response we have had from our customers has been very encouraging," said Peter. "They like the personal level of service we can offer and the fact that our shoes are British made is a big attraction."

Joan Cope shoes have now been on the market for six months and sales are averaging 500 to 600 pairs per week. They sell by mail order and a call centre has been opened at the Shadsworth factory to handle enquiries. Employee numbers at Shadsworth and Altham have now reached 15 and the company hopes to be taking on additional staff in the near future. The spring and summer brochure, launched in mid-April, was backed by a major national advertising and promotional campaign, and a new website is up and running to appeal to the 'silver surfers'. "It is all about brand building at the moment," said Peter. "We are a new name on the market and it will take time for us to become better known. The signs are looking good, however, and we are already starting to receive repeat orders from satisfied customers."

Joan Cope has just taken at outlet at the Botany Bay shopping complex at Chorley and has plans to develop a chain of retail shops. Later in the year, it has booked space at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham when it hopes to sign up independent shoe shops to sell its brand.

"We are ahead of all our targets at the moment which I am delighted about," said Peter. "All of the profits are being ploughed back into advertising to help build the brand. It will all take time, but I would hope that we will be producing up to 5,000 pairs of shoes a week within two to three years."