A BOLTON company with its origins in a cobbler's shop on St Helens Road, Bolton has made a significant breakthrough in the Japanese market. Walsh Sports Ltd has landed a £20,000 order for five styles of running shoes - and more business looks set to follow. Brothers Dennis and Jonathan Crompton took over the traditional, hand-made shoe business from Norman Walsh in September, 1996.

Since then investment in the company and active sales and marketing has led to a major boost in fortunes.

Walsh Sports, now based in Baldwin Street, was runner-up last year in the New Small Business of the Year category of the Bolton and Bury Business Awards.

A stand at the Camping and Outdoor Leisure exhibition in Harrogate in September attracted the attention of the Tokyo-based Thirtyfive Summers Business Corporation - a major sports and leisure company established in 1987.

Joint MD Dennis Crompton said that after chatting to the company's representatives they sent them some samples in November and the order later followed by fax.

"This is a major breakthrough for us," he said today.

"It has been a real team effort - we all work together."

Representatives of the Japanese company, including the President, Kinji Teramoto, came to Bolton last week to see Walsh Sports' operation and consider further orders for shoes used both for athletics and casual wear.

"We are looking at maybe 5,000 pairs next year," Mr Crompton said.

Walsh Sports already export to countries such as Holland, France, Australia and they also hope to break into the American market.

There was an interesting sideline to last week's meeting when Dennis and Jon - in business suits and conscious of all the etiquette usually required - found their Japanese visitors casually dressed and extremely "laid back."

"They are the next generation," Dennis said.

"We had a good laugh about it."

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