A COMPANY founded on the back of the closure of a local factory belonging to a major clothing manufacturer is celebrating its first year in business.

James Meller (pictured) formed AJM Sewing after being made redundant along with the whole workforce at the Gossard factory in Pontllanfraith, Blackwood, at the beginning of last year.

Mr Meller, 30, the former head of maintenance at the factory, recognised the closure was likely to lead to a void in the specialised manufacturing of lingerie, and decided it would be an opportunity to be his own boss while at the same time filling a niche.

During the closure of the factory Mr Meller was able to negotiate the purchase of a number of redundant machines and on April 2, 2001, moved into number 1 Bridge View, Cwmfelinfach, with one machinist on his payroll.

Now Mr Meller employs 14 women on a full- and part- time basis at the former Euro office of Glenys Kinnock.

The vast majority of his staff are ex-Gossard workers, who turn out around 500 exclusive, high-quality British pieces of underwear each week.

Mr Meller said: "We work for the larger lingerie companies such as Gossard-Berlei and specialist Surrey-based designer Fleur-T.

"We work at the front end of the market. We manufacture one-offs for the sales reps to take around to buyers. All the mass production is done overseas."

Mr Meller said the first year in business had exceeded all expectations. But he added running his own company was a far cry from his previous experience.

He said: "It's very taxing, the payroll, looking after the employees and the legal side and everything else.

"There have been quite a few sleepless nights, worrying about the business surviving and getting targets met.

"The biggest nightmare is the accounting side. I have had to learn how to do it myself." Despite the ups and downs of being an employer in a competitive sector of the economy, Mr Meller says he has enjoyed the past year.

He said: "It's reached more than I expected it to in 12 months and I want to keep it at this size until we get more established and know what's happening with the market long term. "If we can we will stay in these premises for the foreseeable future."

Mr Meller said he was now looking at diversifying into industrial sewing, which includes non-clothing articles.