FROM rakes to riches.

A company which began life in a potting shed has outgrown its original home — moving its staff to new offices in Holcombe Brook.

SSP Direct began life in 2010 selling security screws, fire alarm call point covers and safety signs from a wooden shed in its directors’ garden in the Radcliffe area.

Now it is expected to turn over £750,000 this year.

After outgrowing the shed, the directors, husband and wife team, Hayley and Gwyn Ewens, still did not want to commit to a long lease or to expensive overheads so moved into a self storage unit in Radcliffe.

Now SSP Direct has upgraded again, this time moving to offices in Ramsbottom’s Holcombe Brook.

Gwyn Ewens said the move to the new offices had been a huge success for the company.

He said: “We weighed up what was important to us – plush offices or low, manageable overheads: a defined space or the ability to grow or contract according to market conditions; limited access out of hours or 24/7 access to our own secure office.

“It was a no-brainer.

“Our move turned out to be a really good decision and the catalyst for our current commercial success.

“We quadrupled our business within two years of being in a unit at Apex Self Storage, expanding into four separate units, before growing so much that we were able to relocate to The Old Bank Chambers in Holcombe Brook.

“We have grown from two to seven and are now on track to double our business in the next eighteen months, creating more employment in the local area.

“Now we have the best of both worlds: keeping stock in self storage, but running the operation from our new offices.”

Mr and Mrs Gwyn moved to Ramsbottom in April last year and were keen to move the business across too, which they did shortly afterwards.