A CORNWALL-BASED textile manufacturer has turned a European-backed loan into sustained growth for the future.
Betty Boyns, based in Newlyn, produces vintage textile designs and kitchen items and was started by Paula Nichols in 2011.
Paula was inspired by her parents: "My father and other members of his family were fabric dyers and block printers by trade.
"I still remember the patterns of my childhood clothes, curtains and wallpaper, those visual motifs have never left me."
Betty Boyns, which is named after Paula's mother, has been gaining a reputation for producing quality fabrics and has grown to become a national facing brand.
Paula accessed a £12,000 SWIG loan via the South West Loans Fund, part financed by the Convergence European Regional Development Fund, aimed at supporting businesses with growth potential, alongside a Convergence BIG grant from the Cornwall Development Company (CDC).
"This investment has been really successful and we have been able to increase the hours of key staff and are looking to recruit new staff in 2014," she said.
The company are reporting a 150 per cent increase in sales and have been able to showcase their products at several successful shows.
"Our staff are flat out until Christmas now, which is great, but we are learning all the time.
"We have switched tack ever so slightly due to the incredible success of a particular product range. By being flexible we are able to maximise sales in one area to allow us to develop other products and lines.
"I think that is key in this day and age where you do have to cut your coat according to your cloth."
John Peters, SWIG managing director said: "Betty Boyns is exactly the kind of business SWIG likes to invest in.
"They have a great business model, are very switched on but more importantly they have used the investment wisely for growth and not just as a source of quick fix cash flow."
