AT a time when many textile businesses are floundering, Helmshore-based Musbury Fabrics is going from strength to strength.

The family-run company is celebrating its 70th year in business by recording sales at record levels.

Musbury Fabrics is perhaps best known in East Lancashire for its mill shop outlets - at Oswaldtwistle Mills and Barden Mill in Burnley - selling a wide range of home furnishings.

But the core of its business comes from mail order, supplying hotels, nursing homes guest houses, schools and other residential establishments throughout the UK.

The business was first established in 1933 as E Sunter Ltd in Manchester, manufacturing underwear.

It was acquired in 1978 by Dorothy Mitchell, whose son, Alistair, and daughter, Kathryn, now run the business very much on the lines laid down by their mother.

Kathryn said the family was "Helmshore born and bred" and relocated the business to their home village in the early 1980s.

They moved out of underwear and began to concentrate on wholesale, selling textiles to market traders and small shops.

Kathryn said the subsequent decision to sell by mail order had laid the foundations for the fast-expanding business.

"Our first catalogue was a very small affair and I remember everyone helping to stuff the envelopes," she said. "This year, a mailing house will be sending out 50,000 copies of the catalogue to both existing and potential new clients.

"Our mail order business has built up steadily over the years and our reputation has grown throughout the UK."

The company has developed its own Musbury Fabrics brand and stocks every conceivable type of home furnishing including duvets, bedspreads, throws, pillow cases, bath mats, sheets and curtains. Many are made to its own specifications, both in the UK and Portugal.

"We aim to provide high quality at low prices," said Kathryn. "Our quick turnover and increased buying power allows us to buy in bulk. This provides us with great savings which we can pass on directly to our customers."

The move into mill shops began in 1990 when around 1,000 sq ft of space at its Helmshore base was set aside to sell remnants.

"It was the time when mill shops were beginning to take off," explained Kathryn. "We took space, first at Barden Mill and then at Oswaldtwistle Mills and we now have other outlets at Stockport and Batley. It has just gone from strength to strength."

Musbury Fabrics has also developed a complete sewing service, with a team of 15 machinists working on a range of customised furnishings.

This has given the company the opportunity to expand into the interior design market for hotel companies and nursing home groups.

A website has also been developed which allows customers to browse through its stock, order and pay on-line.

Musbury Fabrics now employs 65 staff and has finally consolidated all its operations at its Park Mill head office.

"Bringing everything together on one site was a big step forward for the company," said Kathryn. "It has really improved efficiency and brought everyone together."

The outlet at Oswaldtwistle Mills has recently been revamped and the one at Barden Mill is being refurbished this month.

"You have to keep up to date and keep up with trends," added Kathryn. "But at the end of the day, it all comes down to customer service. It is something our mother drummed into us - get it right with your customers and they will keep coming back."