The sole creator of the Light Emitting Diode making company, Marl International, is chairman Brian Haley.

He began designing LEDs - silicon chips that illuminate when an electric voltage and current is passed through them - in his home in 1972.

In 1975 the company, which had grown to six people, moved into the National Skull Centre, which is now known as The Lanternhouse in Ulverston.

By 1985 the demand for LEDs, which are commonly used to light up power switches on television and videos, cameras and in one-arm bandits in pubs and arcades, began to grow rapidly so the company bought Stone Cross Mansion in Daltongate.

"We were confident that we would fill the space.

When we first moved in we had 35 employees and we now have more than 100.

But we have already managed to outgrow this place as well.

We are increasing our productivity and the devices we are making are getting even bulkier, so we need even more space," said managing director of Marl International Adrian Rawlinson.

Mr Rawlinson said the firm was confident that demand for LEDs would grow as they were

cheaper than electricity and usually outlasted the equipment that they were used in.

"LEDs are to be the light source of the 21st century because of the ecological factors," said Mr Rawlinson.

The firm's main customers are Kodak and London Underground, for which it has just designed warning lights for the underground trains.

Marl is also a big supplier for BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness.

The most famous LED produced by the company is the one that appears on the cover of Pink Floyd's CD, Pulse.

One of its latest inventions is lighting poles, which are used to identify unexploded mines for the defence industry.

It also supplies many companies in America, Australia and Europe.

"Over the last year the demand in America and overseas has really grown.

It is a huge market but in the UK there is also a large market for us.

It is a very exciting time for us to be involved with LED's," said marketing manager Graeme Netherwood.

Due to its growing success and increased demand the company bought the former Ashley and Rock Factory on Morecambe Road in Ulverston in December.

Mr Rawlinson said the large manufacturing company, which has been operating at the Morecambe Road site since April 8, was hoping, when it sold Stone Cross Mansion, that it would create even further job opportunities in the town.

"There has already been some interest from people wanting to buy Stone Cross Mansion but nothing is definite.

We would like to see it being used for something creative and for something that benefits the community and creates jobs," said Mr Rawlinson.

Marl International is not the only company operating from what is now known as Marl Business Park.

The company has sold part of the site to System Technologies and two other Ulverston-based companies, TMS and Tronic, are leasing part of it.

TMS is a new moulding company launched by four former employees of Ashley and Rock, Tronic makes connectors and cables and System Technology makes sonars.

The four companies have forecast that in the medium to long-term future they could create up to 300 new jobs between them.

"It is fair to say that but I am not prepared to say what timescale medium to long term is," said Mr Rawlinson.

"Mark International alone hopes to create between 50 and 100 jobs and that will be gradually over a number of years.

We have already taken on ten of the former employees of Ashley and Rock," he said.

The new business park is to be officially opened by Furness MP John Hutton on Friday, June 7, at 2pm.