COMPUTER giant Time has doubled its fast growing store chain in a major deal.

The Simonstone firm, part of the Granville Technology Group, has formed a partnership with the Office World chain, part of the Swiss-based Magazine zum Globus group.

The deal will see Time selling PCs from 56 Office World stores nationwide and see more than 600 new jobs created in them. With Time's existing 50 showrooms and those planned to be opened in September and October Time will soon be trading from 120 showrooms.

The deal will make Time the country's biggest specialist PC retailer in the UK.

"Time believes that this alliance to bring together two such powerful names is a strategic milestone in selling computers direct to end users," said Colin Silcock of Time.

Time was founded in 1987 by consultant paediatrician Dr Tariq Mohammed who used a computer to calculate feed dosages for his patients.

He decided to see if there was a market for selling PCs by mail order by advertising one for sale in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

He and his brother Tahir Mohsan, now managing director of the group, have amassed a personal fortune estimated at tens of millions from the company's success

From its once-humble origins it is now a £120 million turnover company employing more than 600 at its Simonstone headquarters. The firm recently announced it was taking on an extra 70 staff.

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