A SIGNAGE company is looking to double its sales and create jobs after increasing its production space by 10,000sq ft following a jump in orders.

Gateshead-based Jonsigns Ltd has moved from its former 6,500sq ft facility at Saltmeadows Road to a nearby 16,500sq ft site to help it cope with a huge increase in shop sign orders from some of its retail customers.

These include orders from discount store chain 99p Stores, which plans to open 20 stores in the North East over the next three years, and Grainger Games, which hopes to grow its 64-strong chain of shops to over 100 by 2013. The rapid growth of these stores has helped offset the problems facing some of its other retail customers, including TJ Hughes and Jane Norman, which recently went into administration.

The firm, which was established in 1996, is now looking to grow turnover from just under £2m to around £4m over the next two years as a result of the extra work, as well as double its 26-strong workforce, which has already grown from 12 since 2009.

The company invested £180,000 in moving to the new site, which saw it refurbish the former premises of City Plumbing, which had been empty since 2008. In addition to its shop sign fabrication work, the company also handles large format digital printing, as well as vehicle graphics and other sign related services.