An Australian retailer is set to make its debut in England by creating hundreds of new jobs in the West Midlands.
Harvey Norman, which specialises in furniture, bedding, computers and other consumer electrical products, is opening a new store in Dudley's Merry Hill centre in the autumn which will initially create 100 new roles.
These will cover a range of areas including sales, administration, marketing, operations, warehousing and management.
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It said it was also involved in "advanced negotiations" regarding additional investment opportunities across the West Midlands but did not divulge any further details.
Established in 1982, Harvey Norman is headquartered in Sydney and operates mainly as a franchise model, now running more than 300 stores worldwide across Australia and New Zealand, Asia, eastern Europe and both the Republic and Northern Ireland.
This new announcement follows the implementation of a 海角视频-Australia free trade agreement last year which aims to remove unnecessary barriers to the 海角视频 market for Australian businesses and strengthen trade ties between the two countries.
Harvey Norman's chief executive Katie Page said: "With its exceptional connectivity and a population around the same size as New Zealand, it's clear that the West Midlands represents a significant growth opportunity for Harvey Norman.
"We have been in the 海角视频 for many years, with two stores in Northern Ireland.
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"We look forward to opening our new Merry Hill store later this year and hope to announce further investments in the region over the coming months."
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The company's investment drive is being supported by the West Midlands Growth Company which said it was helping the business to identify possible investment sites.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street added: "It's wonderful news that Harvey Norman, a renowned retail brand, is expanding into England and even better news that its journey to our shores begins with a new store right here in our region at Merry Hill.
"Not only does this news mean we can look forward to an exciting addition to our region's impressive retail offering, it also means we will see hundreds of jobs created for local people.
"I'm pleased to see that a firm of Harvey Norman's stature has recognised all that we have to offer as an international business destination."