FORMER carpet makers in Worcestershire are weaving a living for themselves by making artificial grass.

Tiger AG, based in Hartlebury, Worcestershire, was deliberately established near Kidderminster in 2001 to draw on the skills of local people who had been made redundant from the carpet industry.

The company has 45 staff in Hartlebury and most of its 30-strong production team are still former carpet workers.

And this year, it is celebrating outstanding success in its overseas sales. These have trebled from £1m in 2002 to £3m last year - about half of the firm's annual turnover.

Tiger AG, which makes surfaces for sports and leisure venues, has put a lot of its success down to joining the UK Trade & Investment's Passport to Export programme.

This flagship scheme gives new exporters the training, planning and ongoing support they need to succeed overseas.

As a result, the company has benefited from a package of support including training courses hosted by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce and Business Link, ongoing advice from outside mentors, and detailed reports into its target markets.

It is now exporting to more than a dozen countries, including Germany, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Cyprus and Israel.

"We joined the Passport programme through our local Chamber of Commerce to become more structured, focused and proactive in our overseas business, and the results have been tremendous," said managing director Bryn Lee.

"Our next target market is the Middle East - we have had a report on Dubai and we are also planning to export to South Africa.

"UK Trade & Investment has helped us to raise our profile globally, which has enabled us to win new business ahead of our competitors."

For more details about Tiger AG, ring the company on 01299 253966, or log on to www.tigerturf.co.uk