 In 1984, Magnet & Southerns became a founder member of the FTSE-100 share index.The company continued to expand during the 1980s, with new manufacturing sites in Rotherham, Thornton, Penrith, Burnley and Deeside opened together with the acquisition of the Thomas Easthams kitchen business.Seeing the growth of the burgeoning DIY sector, the company decided to move into the retail kitchen market, and opened its first retail kitchen showrooms in 1985.