A NEW range of children's carousels will help spin an Oldham company a 20 per cent boost in turnover.

Shaw-based Whittaker Brothers has signed a contract with Chinese manufacturers Zhongshan Luck to import and distribute a coin-operated horse carousel.

The deal will mean a 20 per cent boost for turnover at the company, which specialises in making and distributing amusement games for Britain's seaside resorts, holiday camps and pleasure parks.

Today turnover is around é1.75m.

The full Whittaker's range includes Derby horse-racing games, coin pushing games and punch-ball games.

The 25-strong team manufactures, services and sells the machines throughout the UK, with major clients including Blackpool's Crown Leisure.

Director John Whittaker said: "Most of our business is in coin-operated rides and penny- pushing games with small stakes and limited prizes, and we've been manufacturing ourselves - and importing from Italy and France - for 60 years. But this will be the first time we've done business with China."

Success

"We trialled some simple rides over the summer, and they've been a success, so now we have signed a contract for 60 coin- operated children's carousel rides."

"It means a big change because the market for coin- operated children's' rides all but collapsed five years ago, and we eventually pulled out of manufacturing them three years ago, in the face of cheaper competition from the Far East. But now we're back into that market once again."

Two container loads of the new brightly-painted carousels have already arrived in Oldham, and two more are on their way.

Mr Whittaker said: "We'll be showing the ride at the industry's main event at Earl's Court in January, and we'd expect our initial order of 60 to be just a starting point - we expect demand to be strong.

"Within three years this could add 20 per cent to our turnover," he added.

The deal with Zhongshan Luck, who are based in the Guangdong region near Hong Kong, could open the way to other Chinese trade.

"I can see this leading to more work with China," said Mr Whittaker.