Duke Marketing has announced business expansion and the creation of six new job positions, following a two-year contract extension with Island-based online gaming company PokerStars. The new positions will be permanent full-time, part-time and seasonal vacancies at the Tromodebased head office and operational base at Ronaldsway. Duke provides storage, processing and delivery for the PokerStars VIP Store, which provides merchandise to more than 49 million registered players worldwide. Following the successful partnership with PokerStars, new business division Duke Logistics will offer storage and logistical services to other Island-based companies with international clients. Duke was selected by PokerStars due to its experience in mail-order and online retail, which has been built over 30 years. Since 1981, Duke has been processing orders for its home entertainment products and despatching parcels around the globe. It has combined that expertise with its in-house customer service centre, IT department and dispatch operation, as well as multi-site warehousing facilities, to provide logistical support to PokerStars. Duke Managing Director Peter Duke said: “Our successful relationship with PokerStars led to the decision to launch a new division – Duke Logistics. The division will be able to utilise the same skills and expertise to provide storage, processing and mailing solutions to other partners. Making this service available to other companies was the next step and we are delighted.” “For 30 years we have been handling, processing and despatching orders for our wide range of home entertainment products from here in the Isle of Man. There are many Islandbased firms with international clients who do not have the in-house resources to handle high volume order and despatch processes. Duke Logistics is in the perfect position to help in both situations.” Recognised worldwide for its motorsport DVDs and television programming, Duke has recently more than doubled its product line to include more than 400 audio CD titles, thousands of music tracks and hundreds of programmes featuring everything from British stately homes to yoga tuition. The launch of the Duke Logistics division is the latest part of the firm’s expansion plans, which recently saw it take control of UK-based firm FastForward Music. Mr Duke added: “There have been massive changes in our industry in recent years and we have changed and adapted to meet the challenges. As a result we have consolidated our position as a world-leader in the provision of motoring and motorsport programming and are now rapidly gaining an international reputation for a much wider range of special interest DVDs and CDs.” - ENDS-