Partner Article
North East Inventor wired for success
A North East entrepreneur is expecting to turnover £30 million in five years after inventing a product to hide unsightly wires and pipes.
Paul Ruddick from Whitley Bay has developed ‘D-Line’, a range of semicircular PVC trunking with a patented hinged lid at one side and easy-fit fastening facility at the other. £1.2 million has been invested in the product with venture capital and Business Angel support.
Paul said: “D-Line took four years to develop, and was inspired by a customer who wanted a product that would save spending hours recessing walls or ripping up floors to hide cables and pipes, causing a need to plaster and redecorate afterwards. Previously, there was nothing available. “Traditional box-trunking products used for the past 40 years had become so unfashionable in context of contemporary décor.”
The team behind D-Line are using the North East for all manufacturing partners, tool making, warehousing, marketing and packaging. D-Line is currently operating from its Newcastle headquarters and hopes to create more than 50 jobs. D-Line is currently being sold across all leading wholesalers and should be on the shelves of all major retailers by next year.
This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .
Enjoy the read? Get Bdaily delivered.
Sign up to receive our popular morning National email for free.
Raising the bar to boost North East growth
Navigating the messy middle of business growth
We must make it easier to hire young people
Why community-based care is key to NHS' future
Culture, confidence and creativity in the North East
Putting in the groundwork to boost skills
£100,000 milestone drives forward STEM work
Restoring confidence for the economic road ahead
Ready to scale? Buy-and-build offers opportunity
When will our regional economy grow?
Creating a thriving North East construction sector
Why investors are still backing the North East