From garden shed to renowned jewellery business
16:02:20 1st February 2010
A thriving Scottish jewellery company that started in a garden shed has just received a funding package worth £23,000.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is backing Orkney Island company Sheila Fleet Jewellery, providing an ambitious funding package that will boost its marketing efforts.
HIE development manager Maureen Shearer said the business was "ambitious and forward thinking", with a reputation for quality and customer service.
"Our support will help provide a strong new brand image for the company, ensuring continued growth and the development of new markets," she added.
The company is developing a new website, brochure and other promotional materials.
Martin Fleet, who runs the company with his mother Sheila and father Rick, said the additional money would help create a marketing campaign to boost further growth in the business.
From its origins in a garden shed, Sheila Fleet Jewellery now has over 50 employees and is Orkney's biggest employer outside the main towns of Kirkwall and Stromness. 
Written by Robin Antill+
