A COUPLE who travelled the country in a camper van to get their apparel brand off the ground have hailed the ‘tee-riffic’ support available for new businesses in Inverclyde.

Former professional golfer Paul Robinson and his wife Laura set up their own firm earlier this year after returning from a spell working and living in Dubai.

Paul had spent much of the previous five years working for a golf distributor in the Middle Eastern city, and wanted to use the experience he had gained to set up his own company.

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Together he and Laura have launched 1421, which specialises in designing apparel for sports clubs and teams, as well as corporate wear.

The Inverkip-based pair arrived in Scotland earlier this year without any income and made the decision to rent a camper van and head up north to pitch their firm to new clients.

The couple have now struck deals to sell their wares at around 15 high end golf centres across the country.

Laura told the Tele that the support she and Paul received from local services in groups and services in Inverclyde had helped them make their first six months in business a success.

Laura and Paul Robinson have set up their own sporting apparel firm. (Image: Laura Robinson)

She added: “We’ve obviously found a niche and it’s going really well.

“It’s just the total opposite of what you hear in the media about starting up a business.

"I don’t know if that’s because of Scotland and the connection with golf or if it’s just a good opportunity.

“We went to Business Gateway, who helped us a lot. My background was in nursing so I had no clue.

“They set up the basics with website design and marketing, it was great.

“We’re actually now trying to expand outside of the golf world, because there’s lots of opportunities in the corporate world too.

“We’re members of the Inverclyde Chamber of Commerce, and we’ve made a big push to contact local places like the bowling club or Ardgowan Distillery which is just five minutes down the road.

“We’d love to grow the business within Inverclyde and give back.

“It’s a really nice place to live and work, and we’ve found this brilliant business network here that's full of helpful people.”

Skelmorlie-born Paul says he has enjoyed the chance to move closer to home while still working in the industry he loves.

The former pro enjoyed a successful career which saw him play in the Tartan Tour for several years.

He said: “I played in the Tartan Tour full time for four years. I turned pro in 2010 after doing my training at Largs Golf Club for four years before that.

“I won ten times. My biggest win was the P&H championship, which was a big one at the time.

“It was a great experience travelling all over Scotland and England and playing Euro Pro.

“By the time I turned 30, I wanted to look at a bit of a change of direction, because there’s a lot that goes into that, and it’s very competitive.

“The beauty of the golf industry is once you’re in, you’ve got so many places you can go with it.

“Even though I was just a golfer, I’ve been able to create another business after it. It’s been a really great experience.”