THE Inverclyde firm behind the Vango outdoor equipment brand has revealed plans to create a state-of-the-art showroom in Port Glasgow.

AMG Group is also increasing investment in its workforce and warehouse systems with a move to a huge 113,000 sq ft distribution centre near Glasgow Airport.

The company has already more than doubled staff numbers at the Westway distribution hub from 18 to 41, and employs 125 people in total.

Managing director Stephen Newlands said the 'catalyst' for the changes was to 'improve our service to our customers'.

Mr Newlands said: "We've had to significantly increase our investment in mechanical handling equipment — forklifts and man-lifters.

"We've had to place a special order for MHEs (mechanical handling equipment) with beams that go high enough to be able to work at Westway."

Mr Newlands said it had taken between five and six years to identify a distribution centre that met its requirements, and he'd hoped to find a site in Inverclyde but was forced to widen the search when those efforts reached a dead end.

However, keen to retain loyal staff, the company bought a bus to transport workers from the district to Westway.

Mr Newlands said: “It meant we managed to retain all of our staff that worked here, so it is all that experience, all that customer knowledge. There are guys who have been with us for 10, 15, 20 years. Two of our distribution centre staff have been us for 40 years, so you want to repay that loyalty. That was the right thing to do.”

According to its most recent accounts at Companies House, AMG made a pre-tax profit of £4.3m on turnover of £37.1m.