AN engineering firm which has seen revenues increase by 80% and its workforce double over the last two years is looking for a new home on the Tyne.

North Shields-based Chirton Engineering experienced a rapid rise in employee numbers and has grown its turnover by more than 40% in the year to August.

Chirton, which was set up nine years ago with five staff in a 500sq ft unit, has increased sales to £3.65m, following a 40% jump in sales the previous year.

The latest growth follows a £75,000 investment from the Regional Growth Fund last year to pay for new machinery and 30 more staff.

Staff will tomorrow meet Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, along with other firms, to tell him of Chirton’s success after the investment.

Business development manager Michael Morris said: “We had to create the jobs in three years and we did it in six months. Since then, there has been continued investment in machinery.

“If we take on a new client, we go out and buy new machinery once we have assurances from the company. We pride ourselves on raising the bar.”

With a core business supplying components for the oil and gas sector, the company has recently invested in equipment to start machining manifiolds for the industry and has seen a huge demand for the service.

“We have no reps on the road, the work is coming our way,” said Morris. “The subsea oil and gas sector is a close network anyway.”