A BLACKBURN office seating manufacturer is sitting pretty after clinching a £250,000 order for a new range of chairs.

Dauphin plc, which employs 74 people at its base in Peter Street, has signed a deal to provide seating to Centrica plc.

The company has placed an initial order for 1,200 chairs for the refurbishment of its British Gas and AA offices throughout the country.

Dauphin is hoping for further orders for its new 7000 Series range from Centrica to help boost its ambitious expansion programme.

Managing director Alan Verrinder said the company was now hoping to achieve growth of more than 20 per cent in 2001.

"The company is going from strength to strength," he said. "WEe appear to have a winning team now and this new model can only help the company improve over the coming years. These are exciting times for Dauphin plc."

Launched in Spring this year, the 7000 Series was designed by the company's own research and development t eam. It is aimed at a niche within the market and was designed to provide solutions to companies' individual specifications.