A LEADING UK firm which started as a small business based at a county garden centre is celebrating 20 years of success and growth.

The Garden Buildings Centre (GBC) was founded in 1986 at the award-winning Webbs, near Droitwich, by Steve Wood and Bob Brocklehurst.

GBC is now the leading retailer of quality garden and leisure buildings in the UK with 32 employees at 14 sites - including the original at Webbs - from Bournemouth to Scotland.

Mr Wood said: "For the first 10 years Bob and I worked every available hour to grow the business.

"It grew rapidly with the rise in the conservatory market and we were one of only a few garden buildings companies to survive when property prices crashed in the early 90s.

"As the firm grew, our wives, Tracey Wood and Caroline Brocklehurst, joined and we set up new show sites at other major garden centres across the country, exporting the formula which had been so successful at Webbs."

Each of the sites displays between 50 and 95 buildings including summer houses, greenhouses, garages and sheds.

General manager Tina Bishop joined the firm at Wychbold in its infancy and has been integral to its success, managing the day-to-day running of the business.

Mr Wood added: "As a family company we have always been able to move quickly to keep abreast of ever changing designs and product improvements and have an eye for detail and quality of presentation, which gives us a highly competitive edge.

"Our display centres are always clean, welcoming and staffed with people who really know what they are talking about. In the future, we expect a huge growth in the demand for garden offices as more and more people use technology to enable them to work from home.

"We're looking forward to seeing the business flourish further over the next 20 years."

Webbs Executive Chairman Ed Webb said: "We are delighted that the GBC has grown into such a leader in its field, and that the Webbs site has acted as a catalyst for success across the country."