A FURNITURE manufacturer is gearing up to launch a showroom on one of the most prestigious streets in New York.

Senator International, which employs more than 1,000 staff around the world and has its headquarters on Altham Business Park, will open a store on the prestigious Fifth Avenue, which runs past Central Park in the heart of the Big Apple.

The company, which employs people from across East Lancashire, is expanding its American presence as it expects its US turnover to increase $6million to $27million this year.

Senator chairman Colin Mustoe said the company was enlarging its Chicago showroom and said the New York showroom would be open in around ‘six or seven weeks’.

In a statement on its website, the company said: “We now have sales people in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington and will be strengthening the team further, later this year.”

It comes after the company reported a 2013 pre-tax profit increase in the UK, from £3.3million in 2012 to £6.1million this year, although turnover fell £2.9million from £101million to £98.1million in the same period.

Senator International is the UK’s largest manufacturer of office furniture and drove its sales through the £100million mark for the first time last year.

Major investment in the company’s manufacturing capability and research and development, coupled with strong overseas sales growth, helped to deliver the rise in profits.

Senator was founded in 1976 by current chairman Colin Mustoe and has growing operations in the US, Europe, the Middle East and Australia.