Carte Blanche, the Sussex greetings cards company, is to move to bigger premises and create more than 100 jobs.

The firm, currently based on an industrial estate in Ford, will be the second firm to move to the Chichester Business Park.

The 18-acre park is being developed by Seaward and its first tenants, I-Bus/Phoenix will arrive in November.

Seaward has submitted a planning application for a new 30,000sqft complex for Carte Blanche.

The building has been designed to the greetings card company's own specification.

Carte Blanche was founded by its chairman Stephen Haines, who started selling greetings cards from the boot of his car in 1987 with his kitchen table as his office.

The last 14 years has seen the company expand, not only in the UK but throughout 63 countries, with cards printed in 15 languages.

The company's most popular character is the Me to You teddy bear, which can be seen in virtually every High Street.

This success is good news for Chichester district as Carte Blanche is creating more than 100 jobs for the area.

Mr Haines said: "The success of Carte Blanche, like any other business, is totally dependent upon the people and the products within it.

We have a firstclass team and our product speaks for itself.

"I'm looking forward to moving to the Chichester Business Park and hopefully creating many more job opportunities for the district.

"We must be one of the fastest-growing companies in the South of England, if not the UK.

In the last two years, the company has ballooned to a staggering turnover of £25 million.

"Considering the company's humble beginning, we have every right to be immensely proud of its achievements."

Carte Blanche is a former winner of Sussex Business of the Year in the Sussex Business Awards.

David Geering, of Seaward, said having Carte Blanche on the new development should attract other high-profile employers to the area.

Mark Minchell, of agents Tod Miller Thomas, said the letting confirmed the attraction of Chichester Business Park to the business community.

Computer firm I-bus/ Phoenix said it would be increasing its workforce by up to 100 when it moved to the business park.