A young graduate is soaking up success with a new towel business.

Terri-Jane Harris, 20, from Chatham, launched her company Terri Towelling after an apprenticeship in business administration at MidKent College.

The firm is a part of textile business Elsatex and provides towels for the hair and beauty industry.

Terri was able to forge the link with the Strood-based company while she was at college, working as the firm’s head of marketing. It was named Business of the Year at the 2013 Medway Business Awards.

Terri said: “While researching other companies on the internet, it hit me that everyone else who sells towels to hair and beauty salons is very expensive.

“I knew through working at Elsatex that I could cut out the middle man and do the same thing for a lot cheaper, so I ran it past the company’s co-owner Steve Lowe and he said he thought it was a great idea.”

Terri Towelling now sells about 1,500 towels a month.

Terri says she loves when the telephone rings at work because it normally means another order.

She returned to MidKent College last month to donate two cartons of towels as a sign of her appreciation.

MidKent College head of faculty Beverly Noble said: “It’s wonderful to see such a bright young talent with the confidence and courage to launch her own business, and to make a success of it too.

“We wish Terri all the very best for the future.”