AN extra 12 staff have been recruited by a Blackburn custom furniture specialist thanks to a business development initiative.

Bosses and staff at Fuse, based on Shadsworth Business Park, are already on course to break the £3million turnover barrier for 2020.

And with assistance from the Boost Bespoke programme, the six-year-old outfit is looking to kick on to greater heights.

Ultimately their goal, within five years, is to breach the £7.5million mark, with the additional funding helping to swell their workforce to 40.

Director Danny Ambler said: “The support has really encouraged us to take a step back from the business and focus on strategy and growth.

"The planning tools provided are limitless in their scope to help us grow the business and the information on grant funding and links to helpful business contacts is fantastic"

Working with a string of high-end hotel clients, Fuse has the likes of Hilton, IHG and Luxury Lodge on their roster.

But management was conscious that they still had "operational weaknesses" and sought the advice of Boost's experts.

Mr Ambler was drafted in to complete a three-month review of their structures, which recommended investing in new equipment and IT systems, and he later joined founders Shelly Wilcock and Nigel Mallinson on the board.

Peter Dickson, a Boost business coach who assisted the process, said they wanted to outline a "robust growth strategy", which factored in expansion and product diversification.