Chatham has more than doubled the size of its headquarters and European distribution centre with a move to 15,000sq/ft premises nearby its previous site in Chippenham, Wiltshire. The company says it keeps a substantial amount of stock available to facilitate rapid repeat and short orders from its stockists in the UK and Europe.

"Many stockists do not want to commit large amounts of their budget to forward orders, " said Managing Director Brian James.

"So we have developed the ability to turn orders round very quickly - that is the way the business is going to develop, and this way of operating will help to make our customers more competitive on the high street."

Chatham has made key promotions and appointed several new staff to help manage the company's growth and relocation. Sue Herrick-Wall has become product director. She was drafted in 18 months ago as product manager to build Chatham's clothing range which has since expanded from twill deck shirts to encompass gilets, sweaters, T-shirts and jackets in men's and ladies' styles. Before joining Chatham she worked for M&S and Knickerbox.

Chatham has appointed Pam Culverwell in the newly created role of Product Manager for shoes, whose task will be to oversee the development and manufacture of Chatham shoes.

She has considerable experience in production and importing having worked for an importer of boat shoes and for M&S.

Joining the company's sales team is Giles Withers who will help to service the company's accounts across the UK. He formerly worked at retail clothing store Charles Ashley in Bath, where he built up knowledge and experience in casual and outdoor wear. Chatham has also taken on four additional staff in administration and its warehouse division.

In a further development, Chatham has opened a new franchise store in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and will open another in Salcombe, South Devon, shortly.

The new stores represent the second phase in Chatham's strategy to roll out retail shops selling own brand clothing and shoes across the UK in partnership with retailers, which began last summer with the launch of a shop in Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

Chatham's new stores are in prime shopping sites in Marlow, near Henley-on-Thames, and Salcombe, which of course is well known as a busy yachting and holiday resort on the South Devon coast.

As with the Cowes store, the new shops are 100 per cent Chatham and offer a mix of casual clothing and shoes. The interior designs capture a nautical theme and offer a simple, uncluttered and contemporary shopping experience. The original Cowes store is 1,000 sq ft; Marlow is 1,200 sq ft; and Salcombe 1,000 sq ft. Store design and installation is by Leyshon of Bath.

"We're targeting Chatham in towns which have a marine or watersports tradition, or a culture where Chatham will fit into active lifestyles, " said a James in a statement issued by the company. "Our successful experience in Cowes has shown us how to match a high-quality, lifestyle product with a rewarding shopping experience" Chatham is supporting the launch of its new shops, and existing presence in the UK with over 500 brand stockists, including John Lewis, with a new consumer advertising campaign in magazines such as Yachting World and Country Living .