GARY Hawthorne went from working for a transport executive to owning and operating his own small bus fleet.

And to cap what he terms has been a fantastic year, he scooped the SME category in the Bolton and Bury Business Awards.

He said: “It’s been a fantastic year — it’s been superb. It’s been a real rollercoaster of a ride but I never thought we would win anything.

“It wouldn’t have been possible without the people who work at Maytree Travel. This year we expect business to grow by around 25 to 30 per cent.”

After working for Greater Manchester Transport Executive for 13 years, he joined Tyrer Tours in East Lancashire as operations manager.

Given the chance to buy the majority of shares in Tyrer Tours, he jumped at it and Bolton-based bus service provider Maytree Travel was born.

From operating 10 vehicles with 25 staff, Mr Hawthorne has built the company up, increasing staff numbers to 60 and operating 22 vehicles, many under two years old.

The company has grown so fast it has now moved to new premises which offer full workshop facilities with room for further expansion.

Mr Hawthorne, who lives in Bolton, said: “We are a local family firm who pride ourselves on the fact that we employ local people and take local support services.

“We have new modern vehicles, all staff are trained to go the extra mile and ensure the users are happy with our services and, if we have any issues, we react very quickly.”

“I have moved from working as an employee to being an employer having 23 buses, employing 60 staff and operating 22 local bus routes. I can’t believe it.”

The award sponsor was Wilds accountants of Radcliffe.