LOCAL MP Derek Wyatt visited a Sittingbourne firm to see how he could help staff boost their business and create jobs.

The Friday meeting had been set up by Gary Stewart, one of Doré Metals sales personnel at the Trinity Trading Estate, Sittingbourne, after an internal brainstorming session to research new ways of growing the business.

Mr Wyatt toured offices and warehouse of the , which sells non-ferrous metals to both stockholders and end-users. Because of the huge variety of both imperial and metric stocked aluminium extrusion, it has been nicknamed the market-leading "stockholders stockholder".

Doré Metals was bought from founder Peter Doré by Ian Hunter, its sales manager, in 2002. The business was steadily growing when Ian had a heart attack in May this year at the age of 40.

The months of enforced rest gave him time to re-evaluate the way in which Doré Metals did business. The brainstorming meeting was the first initiative in their new philosophy of working "smarter - not longer".

Mr Hunter said of the MP's visit: "Derek was very interested in our business and showed a really positive approach in wishing to help us grow. In particular, the offer to provide political help in negotiating large contracts, and to research access to potential buyers both in the UK and abroad, will assist us in continuing the growth towards our aggressive sales targets."