Bradford-born Brian Thomas is looking for business partners to help him build Britain's best snowsport centres.

Mr Thomas, managing director of Briton Engineering Developments, of Huddersfield, won a Department of Trade and Industry SMART award for research and technology for and technology for perfecting his virtual snow product called Snowflex. Now he is hoping to build a Snowflex centre in the Bradford area.

Mr Thomas also wants to build snowsports centres in other parts of the UK.

Snowflex virtual snow has already been installed in four ski sites in other parts of Britain and has helped them increase visitor numbers and push up profits.

Snowsport operators in other countries are also interested in the idea - especially after some of them saw a 45 metre long indoor Snowflex slope for a major leisure exhibition in Beirut.

Mr Thomas said: "Our expertise is in designing snowsport centres, manufacturing Snowflex and installing it along with the ancillary equipment."

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