Expansion at Sussex plant hire specialist Facelift is set to boost turnover to £7 million within 18 months.

The Hickstead-based company, which has been relaunched under the banner Facelift Direct and moved into a new market sector, is doubling its capacity and investing around £1.5 million in new equipment and products.

As a trailblazer for the venture, 80,000 copies of a 48-page colour catalogue will go out across the UK.

According to managing director Gordon Leicester, the move represents a change of image for the company.

He said: "This is a significant step forward in Facelift's development and has been five months in the planning. We can now offer a much wider variety of items and services."

Since the early Eighties, Facelift's vehicle-mounted 'cherrypicker' platforms have been a familiar sight throughout the South of England.

The venture means the company will now be the only one in the area, offering smaller self-propelled 'cherrypickers' for hire or sale.

Customers will be able to obtain accessories, including safety clothing, scaffolding towers and road cones from a newly opened trade counter at Facelift Direct's Hickstead site.

A purpose-built showroom with and an increase in Facelift Direct's workforce is planned for next year.

Completing the expansion programme, the UK's largest 'cherrypicker' is due for delivery in April. The £330,000 machine extends to a height of 204ft - enough to reach the roof of a 20-storey building.