EAST Lancashire industry can still perform on the world stage, as demonstrated by Blackburn-based Cavalier Carpets, the firm which won a £400,000 contract to roll out the red carpet in a top Washington DC hotel.

We hear so much about the industrial triumphs of yesteryear, when cotton was king and Lancashire exported to just about every country in the world, that we tend to overlook the overseas successes achieved by modern industry.

Representatives of East Lancashire companies can still be found in far flung corners of the world demonstrating the quality of goods produced in these parts.

And the performance of Cavalier in winning the contract to carpet the Willard InterContinental Hotel, the last word in luxury, brings in prestige as well as dollars.

The hotel is used by the top names in the US, ranging from presidents to film stars and captains of industry.

By winning such a high profile contract, Cavalier has proved that East Lancashire companies can hold their own against the world's best.