Soft furnishings firm Ponden Mill, which started as a stall on Skipton market 30 years ago, has opened its 50th store.

The company, which set up the original Ponden Mill in Stanbury, near Haworth, has increased turnover from £11.9 million to £26 million in the last three years - doubling the number of outlets.

And it is now pushing ahead with plans to open 20 stores a year and up to 100 by 2001. The latest store was opened in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

Managing director John Taylor said today: "Our success is based on our Yorkshire customers' demands for high quality products at value-for-money prices."

The firm, which recently relocated its headquarters to much larger premises in Silsden, now employs 540 staff, owns the B's Linen Warehouse chain, Brooks factory outlets and a second mill complex, called Darley Mill, which is near Harrogate.

It had humble beginnings on a market stall in Skipton in 1968. Then in 1976 founder Barry Brookfield, who became chairman, bought Ponden Mill at Stanbury.

The business was so successful that soon coachloads of people were turning up to buy good quality linens, table linens and gifts.

The shops sell a wide range of upmarket bed linen, duvets, soft furnishings, towels and table linen. The firm also produces much of its own merchandise.

Top brand names include Fogarty and Janet Reager - along with the Ponden Mill own brand including the Bronte Collection.

The firm also run factory outlets which started with the Brooks Mill in Elland where there is a Ponden Mill factory shop and space occupied by 76 manufacturers.

Now there are 20 similar outlets throughout the country including Thorp Arch near Wetherby, Peel Mill at Ramsbottom in Lancashire - all of which are called Brooks Factory Outlet Stores.

Mr Taylor added: "We now have factory shop outlets from Dover to Scotland and intend to infill these with our high street stores.

"We have not lost our heritage offering the customer a bargain in terms of service and quality."

Many of the stores have been refurbished over the years as part of the modernisation of the company.

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