TWO of East Lancashire's fastest growing firms have bucked the gloomy manufacturing trend by celebrating major deals.

Uniform firm Simon Jersey and car component manufacturer Piolax -- based next door to each other in Altham -- are expecting a boost to workloads from contracts with car hire giant Avis and Honda

Honda's decision to double its UK production and export back to Japan will help create new jobs at Japanese-owned Piolax.

The firm is already planning to double its workforce to up to 150 in the next three years and boss Ken Suzuki said the Honda news would help it achieve the figure. "It is very good news for us. Although Honda is not our biggest customer it is a major one and their decision should bring more work to our plant." The firm, which set up in Burnley four years ago and moved to larger premises on the Altham business park earlier this year, manufactures plastic components such as fasteners.

At neighbouring Simon Jersey, staff are celebrating an order to supply car hire firm Avis with uniforms for all of its 9,500 staff in 112 countries. The five-year deal will see Simon Jersey supply clothing as far afield as Africa and the Far East. A spokesman for the firm, which employs 300, said it was an important win and evidence of Simon Jersey's growing influence across the world. Avis wanted a firm which was able to handle its business on a global basis and design smart and flexible clothing."