A new business has emerged from the shadows of a Bradford firm which ceased trading in the city after nearly 50 years.

New Vision Associates has sprung up following the collapse of William Duff Signs which went into voluntary liquidation last Christmas Eve with the loss of 22 jobs.

The biggest blow the company faced was when tobacco firms cancelled their advertising which meant they no longer needed signs over shops and other tobacco sales outlets.

The tobacco companies were key customers of the firm which was started by William Duff who was a signpainter.

A number of key staff from the company spent Christmas and all January working on ideas for a new firm which started operating with six staff on February 2. A number of long-standing customers, including the Yorkshire Building Society, moved their business over to New Vision which is leasing the former William Duff Signs headquarters in Ventnor Street.

The company has doubled its workforce in the last five months and has plans to create more jobs as the business expands.

Managing director Stephen Duff, a grandson of William Duff, said today:

"Some of the William Duff Signs customers stayed with us and we have been working very hard to get new customers.

"We are now working on offering customers a complete package as a signs, graphics and design business."

The firm has taken on John Bellamy its business development director, Tony Stead as design director, Mick Farrell, who heads up estimating and production and Gary Roberts, the firm's graphics and production director.

Tony Stead said: "The company is aiming to pick up contracts with large firms and offer various packages to businesses and organisations throughout the UK."

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