FROM Bolton Market and the Next store in Bolton town centre to Selfridges in the Trafford Centre and Burberry’s London flagship store: when you walk in any of them, you are walking on a floor laid by Bolton-based JCW.

Now one of the biggest screeding firms in the UK, the business is now celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Screed wasn’t always a distinct trade but in 1993, after spending eight years building his expertise, JCW founder John Wilkins realised it.

JCW laid 60,000 sq metres of screed at Westfield London in 2008, the company’s largest project to date, a contract value of £1.5 million. “We’ve screeded most of the Trafford Centre and have worked on most other shopping centre developments ever since,” said John.

There are now more than 30 screeding companies in the UK, but JCW has remained at the top of the industry.

“We’re well organised and well managed,” explained John. Many of the people who work here have been with us for our entire 25 years. We now employ 85 people and we take on young people so they can learn with the floor screeders. Most of the people we train stay with us and I’m really keen to bring more people on.

“Another important factor is that our suppliers enjoy working with us. Because we’re well organised it means they can organise their own businesses to help ours.”

Over time, JCW has expanded its business, offering not just anniversary of the company also marks the 10th anniversary of the building. In 2012 JCW became a group of companies which now have a combined turnover of more than £12 million.

It’s quite some achievement for a Bolton lad (he grew up in Bradshaw and attended the now demolished St Cuthbert’s High School), but John knows he can’t rest on his laurels.

“The expectations of customers are constantly evolving,” he explains. “They rightly expect ever-greater reliability, faster turnarounds and the ability to meet t It means we have to work harder on our team management and our organisation has to keep improving so that we remain the best at what we do for another 25 years.”

The company hosted a 25th anniversary dinner to celebrate with past and present employees.