HighGrowth East Midlands, the flagship business support programme funded by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the European Regional Development Fund is helping businesses in the region to grow, despite the challenging economic climate.

After a phenomenal year of growth since joining the Growth Readiness programme, part of HighGrowth East Midlands, in 2008, Rieke Packaging Systems Limited was able to grow its sales turnover from £12.9m to just over £20m.

The business has performed so well that it is now making the step up to the High Growth programme, making it the first ever Growth Readiness firm to be reclassified as a High Growth business.

Based in Leicester, Rieke has been designing and manufacturing pump dispensers for the past 40 years. Though well known in the marketplace as a manufacturer of quality technical solutions for dispensing problems, the company wanted to attract a larger customer base through an increased product range.

With the help of the Growth Readiness programme and a business support coach, Rieke was able to develop a strategic growth plan enabling the company to expand its product range whilst targeting new potential customers.

Commenting on the progress Rieke has made as a result of being on the programme, Mark Box, Managing Director, stated: "2008 was the most successful year in the company's history, with growth of 22% in sales. In 2009, sales are already 16% ahead of 2008. There is no doubt that the HighGrowth East Midlands programme has helped us develop a team that can sustain the growth as we move forward."

Rieke's existing customers include the likes of Schering, Reckitt, Kimberly Clark, Starbucks, Campbell, Nestle and L'Oreal. Further recognising their achievements, Rieke were recently awarded the Growth Readiness Award at the HighGrowth East Midlands Awards 2009 held in Leicester on 24th March.

Joining the High Growth programme will provide the support Rieke needs to continue its expansion and penetration of overseas markets. The firm plans to increase recruitment in the areas of production and engineering over the next two years, in order to ensure the business stays well on track to achieving its objective of becoming a market leader through innovation and design.

Speaking about the High Growth programme, Michael Carr, emda's Executive Director for Business Services said: "This is further evidence that HighGrowth East Midlands is providing growing businesses with the support and guidance that is vital for meeting the challenges of the current economic climate and further identifying growth opportunities. The programme also aims to equip businesses with the 'know how' to sustain growth and development in the long-term."

HighGrowth East Midlands is currently recruiting businesses to join its 2009 Growth Readiness programme. The closing date for this year's applications will be 30 June 2009, though businesses are encouraged to apply early as places are limited. Interested businesses should visit www.hgeastmidlands.com  or call 0845 365 4769 for further details.