A major Brighton manufacturer is getting its name seen up and down the country thanks to a deal with a Sussex transport firm.

Axtra, the Shoreham-based haulage firm, has Brighton Sheet Metal's name on the side of one of its lorries as part of a long-term deal between the two firms.

Brighton Sheet Metal, which for 80 years has been supplying precision products to some of Europe's biggest companies in anonymous trucks, now has its name on the road.

Based at the Hyde Industrial Estate, Brighton Sheet Metal has enjoyed record growth in the last three years.

The privately-owned company has a workforce of 125 and its annual turnover exceeds £6 million.

It now occupies three factories on the site in Bevendean, having taken over a derelict clothing factory last year.

Technical sales director Malcolm Holman said: "There has been a lot of investment in the factory and now our state of the art machinery puts us among the most competitive firms in the business.

"I know sheet metal is not a glamourous business but it is an essential one.

"Most people would be surprised at the type of products we make, from covers for sophisticated vacuum pumps and computers to the bases for photo booths."

The customer base is diverse and includes electronics, transport management, communications and printing.

Trifast is another local firm Brighton Sheet Metal is working with.

The Uckfield company supplies and manages the nuts, screws and washers used at the factory, making sure it never runs out.

Brighton Sheet Metal managing director Philip Layfield said the high value of sterling had hit its exports but it was still supplying products to a number of European countries.

He said: "We work hard to develop long-term partnerships and to understand the individual needs of customers.

"Attention to detail is a key factor."