A vacuum cleaner for pets and a laboratory workstation to check the quality of wool are two of the quirky projects which have put an Ilkley businessman on the map.

Design consultancy firm Matter was set up by former Ilkley Grammar School pupil Matt Hodgson with university pal Matt Wright in 2003.

The pair met at Brunel University and spent three years designing for leading vacuum cleaner company Dyson before they decided to establish their own business.

Although Mr Hodgson, 29, admits the company was "bumping along the bottom" during its first six months, Matter completed its first financial year with a healthy turnover of £210,000.

Estimates are that will increase by 30 per cent by the end of this financial year.

Mr Hodgson said much of the early success was down to a contract with Woolmark Technology, which has offices in Ilkley, to develop the Almeter 100TS computer scanner which calculates the length of textile fibres in minute detail.

He said Matter, based in Bath, was originally hired to design the housings for the product but was given a bigger role after impressing company chiefs when the duo travelled to the town.

"We took the product's design right back to its fundamentals, before embarking on its complete overhaul," he said.

"It basically scans textiles and calculates fibre length which helps determine the quality."

Mr Hodgson said it could be used in textiles factories to check imported products and by farmers to check the quality of wool produced.

He said: "Following the design we sourced all the contractors to produce the components and assembled the scanners ourselves which was really exciting."

Twenty of the scanners were produced and most have been sold overseas to destinations including China, Korea and India. "Anywhere that has sheep could make this product big business!" said Mr Hodgson.

The firm also developed Vacgroom, a grooming machine that gently removes all moulting hair from a pet.

It can be attached to almost any vacuum cleaner.

Mr Hodgson said Matter designed and engineered the project.

He said: "We kept really close to the whole project, making sure no corners were cut - we were even standing in the factory as the first components came off the tools.

"Most design consultancy firms cherry-pick aspects of a project to work with, but we've got the experience and the know-how to develop people's products from start to finish and in the consultancy world that's relatively unusual.

"Instead of the usual three or four agencies working on the product - the website, engineering, branding and packaging - Matter, working with our design partners, produces the whole project from beginning to end, saving cost and accelerating the time to market."

Mr Hodgson and Mr Wright, 29, from Lincolnshire, are looking forward to working on future schemes.

Mr Wright said: "Developing our existing clients, winning new product work and expanding our core business to include structural packaging are all exciting priorities.

"We are also looking to develop our own products. We're just a bunch of frustrated inventors really."

Matter has established a sister company, Matter dpi, with Marv Waite from Burley-in-Wharfedale, who helped develop the software for the Almeter 100TS and who has been hired to develop digital media work and websites.

For further information visit www.matter-npd.co.uk.