An industrial doors firm is preparing to celebrate 30 successful years in business.

Bolton Industrial Doors, based in Wingates, has grown from a one man band into a thriving operation with more than a hundred employees and premises in Glasgow and Stoke.

The firm services and repairs high speed doors, industrial doors, gates and barriers as well as automatic doors, and shelters.

BID also manufactures a range of its own roller shutter and high speed doors.

The business was started thirty years ago by John Thompson, now the managing director.

In 1987, John's friend Mike Calderbank, now company director, joined the group and the firm continued to expand.

In the early days John's wife Alison was required to complete invoices and quotations at night after working at her full-time job — she is now on the board of directors as well.

Today BID consists of a number of specialist trading divisions, with each division using fully trained engineers, qualified in a specific area of work.

John said he believes the continued success of the firm is down to carving out a niche within a crowded market.


He said: "Along with many other successful local industrial door companies we have specialised in certain products and market sectors over the years.

"In our case fast acting roll up doors which we design and manufacture ourselves as well as large public sector service and repair contracts and large supermarket plc distribution centre service and repair contracts."

He added: "The Directors have always retained significant capital in the business — this reduces the pressure when trading conditions become more challenging and allows time to diversify into other products and markets within our industry."

To recognise the 30th anniversary this year, BID has produced a new logo to be used on all of the firm's literature and on its 50-strong fleet of vans during the year.

The logo will also be emblazoned across a BMW 1 series car that is being sponsored by the firm as it competes in this year's MSA British Dunlop Endurance Championship.

The car will be driven by Neil Primrose, the drummer from indie band Travis, who BID has sponsored on his individual races in recent years.

Customers may have come across BID without realising — the firm operates under a number of different trading divisions depending upon either location or product including Lycetts Industrial Doors, Lowland Doors, Kilmate High Speed Doors and Perimeter Security Maintenance.

So what about the next 30 years? Well the directors plan to expand its premises on the Wingates Industrial Estate in a bid to increase production as well as storage space.

The group is also in the process of creating a new position of surveyor/sales engineer, with the successful applicant working in the London area to service what is an expanding customer base in the capital.

There is a suggestion that this increasing market could eventually lead to Bolton Industrial Doors opening an entire depot in the London area.



By Liam Thorp