GREENOCK export firm PG Paper is celebrating a busy start to 2020 with record number of international shipments.

Staff at the company's headquarters within the town's iconic Custom House have helped shift over 5,000 containers of various types of paper around the world in the current financial year - an 11 per cent annual increase.

It follows the firm's most recent set of annual accounts which revealed a huge increase in turnover for the 12 months to March 31, 2019.

Revenue rose by almost £20 million to £56m which led to a healthy profit of £1.6m - up by £90,000.

The company is now on course for a prosperous 2020 after such a busy year.

Logistics manager Fiona Dempster, from Port Glasgow, said: "This year we're in the process of moving record amounts of shipments, certainly since I joined six-and-a-half years ago.

"It's part and parcel of the company's growth plans."

The workforce is also growing with 24 staff now on the books.

The number of shipments since April 2019 is the most since the company was founded in 2003 by Kilmacolm-based entrepreneur Poonam Gupta OBE, who runs the business with husband Puneet. PG Paper now operates in 55 countries worldwide, including China, India and South America, and last year opened a sales office in New York.

Logistics guru Fiona said: "We're growing in various different regions.

"South America is a big one for us.

"We're shipping to places like Peru and we also deal with suppliers in Australia. "From a January point of view, it's been the busiest in my time here.

"There's always something on the go.

"The work we do in logistics is very much driven by how well the procurement and sales teams are doing with buying and selling.

"When I started with the company there were five of us working from a house and now I have five people in my team alone, who all live in Greenock, Port Glasgow or Gourock.

"We've come so far and it's great to be part of such a success story. "It's a really good place to work and Poonam and Puneet are really good people."

The company specialises in buying and selling all sorts of paper, including newsprint, cardboard and tissue.

Mr Gupta, the chief operating officer, said: "PG Paper has shown significant growth over the last year, with a number of key appointments alongside the opening of new offices in America, China, and Turkey, to name some.

"This has been against a backdrop of challenging trading conditions, including exchange rate fluctuations and political uncertainty in some of our markets.

"We have a highly-motivated team here who remain committed and excited by our ambitious growth plans for the coming year and beyond.

"Fiona and her team do an incredible job every day and their agility and expertise when managing our ever-growing number of shipments is second-to-none."