Shipley business Specialised Car Covers are celebrating success in winning a major contract from German manufacturer Audi to supply covers for cars displayed worldwide in showrooms and exhibitions.

Top marques owned by Audi/VW include Bentley and sports car brands Ginetta, Lotus and Morgan.

Defying the recession, the company now needs to recruit skilled sewing machinists to meet growing demand for covers designed to fit not only cars but also caravans, aircraft, even helicopters.

Says Douglas Long, who runs the company with his wife Carole: "It's taken 18 months to negotiate this prestigious contract and we are thrilled to have won it. A Bradford business for more than 30 years, we are now one of Europe's leading specialists in the design and production of top quality car covers, which we export globally.

"With this and other new contracts now in place we need to recruit four or five more machinists. We find Shipley an excellent location as the town has many people with the skills we need."

He readily acknowledges the support received from Bradford Council's Kickstart enterprise programme, via Invest in Bradford, at the time the company relocated from its original base in Little Germany to larger, 18,000sq.ft. premises in Dockside Lane, Shipley.

"Invest in Bradford also introduced us to the Council's Jobs@ service, which has already found one skilled sewing machinist for us and is now looking for more potential employees as we grow our business."

Sewing machinists who wish to apply for a job at the company should call (01943) 864646 or e-mail: helen@specialisedcovers.com