AWARD-WINNING firm Micro Medical is creating up to 25 new jobs and expanding into Chatham Maritime.

The leading-edge business, a former winner of the Queen's Award for Export Achievement, Medway Small Business Awards and Kent Exporter of the Year awards, has bought a prime site overlooking Basin 2 for its head office and research centre. The leading UK manufacturer of medical electronic devices is already well established in Medway through its Rochester office.

The deal was concluded with the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) which owns and manages Chatham Maritime. Micro Medical started in business in 1983 and now employs some 90 staff. With regional offices in Southampton and Leicester, and direct operations in the US and Germany, the company is an international player with more than 70 per cent of its sales coming from exports.

The Chatham Maritime site will be developed as Micro Medical's new international headquarters, designed to enable its workforce to increase to 110 over time.

"Micro Medical's ongoing research and development programme is quite hefty and it made sense for us to bring our production and office functions

together from their two separate sites," said Daniel Quirke, the company's chief executive officer.

"We anticipate taking on 20-25 extra staff over the next 18 months--a combination of R&D engineering and sales and marketing functions-- and I believe the Chatham Maritime development offers a very pleasant working environment for both current and potential staff."

Micro Medical's new premises will comprise 20,000 sq ft of laboratories and office space built over three floors. Development is already underway and the new building is scheduled for completion in in autumn.