A DOOR of opportunity is opening wide for Russell and Virginia Margerison, thanks to the humble hinge.

The couple's garden shed manufacturing business gave them the idea of producing a cheaper version of the antique-style cast iron hinges they used.

And after years of thought and months of development the first orders for their unique nylon hinge are coming in.

The Margerisons have been manufacturing garden sheds, summer houses, chalets and playsheds at their WorkGreat firm in Blackburn for the past 11 years.

A major expense in the cost of the finished item has been the cast iron hinges used on the firm's range.

A pair of cast iron hinges costs between £12 and £15, adding as much as 10 per cent of the wholesale price of WorkGreat's products.

For several years the firm had been mulling over alternatives to cast iron and last August finally decided to try their idea out.

With their own money, the couple decided to have a prototype hinge made in rigid nylon.

It had to look and feel like cast iron, be unbreakable and do the job just as well. And most importantly the price had to be significantly lower.

They commissioned an artist to draw up the hinge and found a manufacturer able to produce it.

By December an 11in hinge had been made and a three-month testing programme began.

As the new venture, Creative Antique Nylon, began to take shape, the couple approached ELTEC for help with marketing and pricing structure before contacting potential customers.

With 860 garden shed manufacturers in the UK there is a substantial market for the new hinge.

A letter drop and sample campaign is now under way and the first orders are coming in.

A second 9in hinge has been produced and plans are afoot for a window hinge.

The business plan aims for 100 trade customers purchasing eight pairs of hinges a week on average.

And if things go as expected the firm expects to have to take on more employees to deal with demand.

"We know the product is good and the price is right. The future is in good marketing, perseverance and persistence," said Virginia.

There's still time to enter the Lancashire Evening Telegraph East Lancashire Business Awards.

There is more than £10,000 up for grabs in five categories.

Application forms can be obtained by contacting 01254 678678 extension 258. The closing date is April 26.

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