THE idea for an international furniture-supply business was seeded when Richard Barker attended his sister's wedding.

He spotted an opportunity when he realised the marquee company had hired the chairs for the event, instead of supplying their own.

Now, eight years later, Hill Cross Furniture has grown to have a staff of 22, customers all over the globe and a turnover of £3m a year.

Major contracts have included supplying the International Olympic Committee with chairs for its lounge at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin - and providing the furniture for Duncan Bannatyne's hotel and health clubs.

The business is based on Mr Barker's former pig farm at North Cowton, near Darlington.

The married father-of-three said he had been looking to quit pig farming at the time of his sister's wedding.

Quick to develop his business idea, Mr Barker, 38, found a company in Romania manufacturing chairs and bought 800 to hire out to the marquee industry.

At this stage, Jake Bailey, also 38, who Mr Barker has known since he was ten, joined the firm.

The two men then started selling chairs and furniture to restaurants, bars, hotels, cafes and other commercial organisations.

Mr Bailey, who lives with his partner and young son, was working as a chartered surveyor at the time.

He said: "The plan was to open this business as a part-time venture alongside other interests."

But, their decision to promote the business on the internet, saw a rapid expansion, which turned it into a full-time occupation, with customers across the world.

The company has exported furniture to the US, Azerbaijan, the Cape Verde Islands, Nigeria and Bahrain.

In this country, the furniture can be found at such venues as Center Parcs, the Muffin Break and Bodean BBQ Smokehouse chains, and fashionable London restaurants such as Beach Blanket Babylon and Galvin Bistrot de Luxe.

Publicity on the internet also led to the 2006 Winter Olympics contract.

They have updated their computer systems, using Edward Robertson in Darlington, who helped them with their first website.

Mr Bailey said: "Now we have a very sophisticated computer system.

It will have cost us £100,000 to develop and has about 5,000 pictures on it."

The business is still based on the farm, where it has a showroom, and caters for 22 staff.

Mr Barker said: "All the staff love it here and the customers like it. We prefer it to being on an industrial estate."

Eighty-five per cent of the furniture is now made in Italy, primarily at small family-run factories and businesses. The company, which has an office in Italy, is also the North-East's sole distributor of Italy's well-known Montbel furniture brand.

They estimate in an average week they would deliver 400 chairs to businesses.

Customers in the region include Headlam Hall, near Darlington; the Dog & Gun, Potto; and the Moon and Sixpence Bar and Brasserie, Whitby.