A BOLTON firm is celebrating 20 years of growing success this month.

Graham Balshaw started his small manufacturing business in a rented small 500 square foot space with a couple of work benches at the Bolton Enterprise Centre

Two decades down the line Assembly Solutions Ltd (ASL) owns a 32,000 sq ft factory and is forecasting a £3.1 million turnover for this year.

Speaking on its 20th anniversary managing director Graham said the firm has no plans to slow down the growth its enjoyed over the years.

Based in at Terence House in Nile Street, ASL is regarded as one of the UK leaders in the manufacture of hybrid wiring systems for electrical and diesel vehicles and has set a target of a £10 million turnover by 2022.

"I do take some satisfaction from what I've achieved in terms of the number of jobs that have been created, the number of people we support and most people I think like and enjoy working here. I feel we've got a good community," Graham said.

"People who run businesses that appear successful are always mindful of fact it is very hard to achieve it but very easy to lose it.

"I started with two or three staff and that's gradually grown over 20 years."

Having pervioulsy worked at electronics firms such as Philips, at the age of 26, Graham set up his own business making electrical wiring products and instrumentation panels from the unit at Bolton Enterprise Centre.

It was not always smooth sailing as a month after starting his wife Anne was diagnosed with cancer and went through six months of chemotherapy, supporting their three young children, Gareth, Sophie and Oliver, while Graham built them a future.

Graham added: "In my first year I had one day off, I was working everyday day, Saturday and Sunday, with just Christmas off, 70 plus hours a week.

"I think the statistics are out of people starting business 90% fail, only 10% survive more than three years. I was very determined I wouldn't fail."

ASL went from strength to strength moving to successively larger homes, including Gilnow Mill in Spa Road, before buying the site of a former Cash and Carry in Nile Street in the summer of 2012.

His family also came on board with Anne, 54, now a Director, Gareth, 32, Sales Director, Sophie, 26, Marketing Manager, and Oliver, 22, Senior Buyer.

The new home was named in honour of Graham's father Terrance who died two years ago and was "very enthusiastic and encouraging" of his son's venture.

The family put their all into developing the purpose built factory but, despite growing sales growing by 20 per cent and an increased workforce of 35 to 50 last year, it was not an overnight success.

"At the time when I moved into this place if someone got a magic wand and offered to take me back 12 months I would have done it," Graham explained.

"The overheads had gone up and the turnover dropped a little bit. The business wasn't making the money it needed, it was a scary time for a few months but it turned out well in the end.

"I wouldn't do it again, I'm getting too old for that. I'm pleased I've done it, it's a factory to be proud of and a place to grow from £3 million to £10 million and attract the type of big contractors we are looking for."

The firm has attracted big name clients including Leyland Trucks and nuclear measurement manufacturer Canberra , and boasts a host of business awards including being named North West Business Manufacturing Business of the Year 2015 by by e3 awards.

As for the future, ASL is very much remaining a Bolton-based business, with Graham happy he has planted a solid foundation that see it through to a 30th anniversary.

I can see the business continuing to grow from here," he said.

"I've built it based specifically capacity to grow. I will probably work another five or six years and expect the factory to be big enough now to facilitate that growth and expect it to be here at least another 10 years."