A CHEESE packing business based on Teesside has broken the £10m turnover barrier after its most successful Christmas ever.

A total of 26 per cent of last year's sales for family-run firm Tom Walker and Sons came in November and December last year, making it the company's most profitable festive season since its inception in 1982.

The company, based at Thorpe Thewles, in Stockton, now has its eye on boosting turnover by a further 50 per cent by 2010.

The firm - which employs 32 staff and up to 60 agency workers over the Christmas period - sources and supplies cheeses from all over the world, and counts leading brands including Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Waitrose among its clients.

The business has recently been given help from Durham Business School's strategic development programme (SDP), which has helped about 35 small businesses in the region to achieve their full potential.

Tom Walker and Sons is run by managing director Peter Walker and his brother, Mike, and sister, Pauline, who took over from their father nine years ago.

Peter said: "In today's competitive climate, no business can afford to stand still and, as a family, we appreciated this, but were unclear as to how we could channel our ideas for growing the company into a workable strategy, without compromising it by taking our eye off the ball.

"The SDP programme helped my family and I to develop a more pragmatic approach to business planning, setting workable targets and implementing change."

Jeremy Wright, SDP director at Durham Business School, said the firm's success was impressive.

He said: "The SDP is all about getting entrepreneurs to think strategically about the future, to help owner-managers like Peter, Mike and Pauline to understand how they can develop the business, explore avenues for future growth, and implement new ideas."