WB Power services of Manners Industrial estate was started by Ken Wilmott and his wife Valerie in their garage in 1983 and today has an annual turnover of more than £4 million, employing 38 people, with big plans for expansion.

Ken said: ""We have a lot to thank Mr.Scargill for because if not for him we may never have gone full time.

"First year turnover was around £75,000 and this year it will be over £4 million.

"It's never easy. They say success is hard to find because it's disguised as hard work - and never was a truer word spoken!"

After the 20ft by 10ft garage at the side of their house, they rented a unit on the Midlands storage depot before moving to a purpose built current building in 1989. In 1993 expanded into the old Ilkeston shopper building.

Ken said: "We started off in construction equipment - but there was a recession in the mid 80s - and that affected house building so we had to change tack."

Now the company has been quality-standards and is even able to boast that it fitted generators into Buckingham Palace at the Queen's gallery. Ken quips that the job involved tense negotiations with the head gardener who was keen to see that shrubs planted by King Charles II were not disturbed.

"We've got loads of expansion plans in other parts of the country. The cost of diesel is starting to bite - so if we want to stay competitive we need more locations around the UK."

Today, eldest son Andrew, 30, is a managing director and youngest Chris, 26, works in the stores.

But Ken attributes this family business's ongoing success to his wife's excellent book-keeping: "Val has been the backbone of this company - she's been an absolute rock .

"She's the only reason we're still going. She's done a fabulous job."

A celebration dinner at Eastwood Hall was held on March 8 - which coincided with Ken's 56th birthday.