A FAST growing firm is seeing in the New Year with a major expansion programme across the UK.

Simonstone-based Time Computer Systems has just opened a new showroom in Cardiff and a clutch of other stores are under development.

The latest showroom is the 32nd to be opened under a deal Time struck with Powerhouse, a Southern based electrical retailer.

And Time, part of the Granville Technology Group, is lining up new openings in Plymouth, Middlesbrough and Liverpool.

There are now a total of 41 Time showrooms across the UK with four superstores including one in Blackburn.

Time, the UK's largest mail order PC company employing more than 600 at its East Lancashire headquarters, moved into the retail market in October, 1996, after research showed that a significant proportion of people were uneasy about buying computers mail order.

"Our showrooms offer a new concept in computer shopping by supplying high specification PCs at mail order prices," said sales director Colin Silcock.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.