Three brothers who branched out from the family hotel into Highland outfitting are now moving into children�s furniture with a Scotland-wide franchise.

Three brothers who branched out from the family hotel into Highland outfitting are now moving into children's furniture with a Scotland-wide franchise.

Gerald (Fredo) Capaldi, 32, and brothers David, 28, and Dominic, 24, have quadrupled the size of the MacGregor & MacDuff kilt hire business since they took over the chain five years ago.

Now they plan to open six stores around Scotland for Flexa, a Danish group which sells its own-design furniture for kids of all ages through selected retailers and franchisees across the world.

The Capaldi family still runs the Orchard Park hotel in Giffnock, but as a business "there wasn't space for all of us in it", Gerald said.

"We had a great training from being in the family business, and when we got into kilts it was different from the pub trade, it was great for us and we brought in some young ideas."

They are now opening a new sales room at the Bath Street premises, and with three other outlets in Glasgow and one in Prestwick they see further growth in the business.

Meanwhile Flexa, which is represented in 40 countries and last year had a turnover of 100m, has decided to open its own dedicated outlets in Scotland.

Martin Gudaitis, retail partner with property consultants Montagu Evans in Glasgow, said: "Once we have secured Flexa's first Glasgow store, it is the intention to have five others open in Scotland within the next two years."

He is looking at the Fort, Silverburn, and Braehead shopping centres, and at East Kilbride, with plans for further stores in Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen.

They will sell furniture and associated accessories for babies and toddlers, up to children in their early teens.

Capaldi said: "We just felt we weren't working enough hours, we were looking for something else that was quite similar.

"Danish furniture and Scottish kilts - they are both specialistyou need to know about the product and its history, get to know the customer and build a relationship."

Although Capaldi has taken on a master franchise, he says: "It will be me personally opening up the six stores, I will be the sole franchisee."

He says the product is already well established in Italy, Spain and England, and he is looking to build a seven-figure turnover.