A BIDEFORD company that started life in its owner's garage and is now one of the leading office furniture suppliers in the South West is celebrating its fifth anniversary with ambitious plans to grow the business further.

TCi, based on Daddon Court Business Park off Clovelly Road, specialises in commercial fit out and refurbishing office interiors, covering every stage from initial consultation to final installation.

Managing director Adrian Sealey now aims to double company turnover by 2013.

"Having my own business had been a pipe dream of mine," said Adrian.

"I'd worked in the office interiors industry for a number of years, but really I wanted to branch out on my own.

"One day I was walking along Bideford High Street and saw an offer for free business advice and start ups. I went inside and within 40 minutes I'd set up a limited company and was ready to go."

Adrian's garage was his initial base, with family and friends helping out.

"In that first year I was working all hours, and I'm particularly grateful to my wife Rebecca for her support which allowed me to do this."

The dedication paid off, and the company achieved a turnover of £360,000 in its first year.

But space was becoming a problem, and Adrian could see that he needed a new, larger, base.

After 18 months, the company moved to two units at Daddon Court Business Park in Bideford.

It also won a major contract to provide flooring, furniture and joinery at the 2012 Olympic village in Stratford in East London.

"That was a great contract," said Adrian. "We worked around the clock to bring that job in on time and on budget. It gave the company a major boost just at the right time.

"Our annual turnover reached a million pounds that year, and we've been achieving at least that ever since."

The company now has a third unit and in 2009 and 2010 reached the regional finals in the HSBC Start up Stars Awards.

Its client base also grew to include Babcock Group, Balfour Beatty, Interserve, Devon and Cornwall Police, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue and the Canary Wharf Group.

In 2010, the company rebranded as TCi GB Ltd to reflect the increasingly corporate nature of its work.

Adrian and his staff have also focused on the company's green credentials, achieving ISO 14001 accreditation as well as ISO 9001 accreditation.

Despite challenging economic conditions, success has continued in 2011.

"This has been an excellent year for us so far. We were really pleased to be invited to become a member of the AIS, the Association of Interior Specialists, which sets the standard for the quality expected by the best in the industry. That has been a great honour.

"A lot of our success is down to having a good team from the start. We take advantage of the opportunities when they come along, both in the form of business advice and funding.

"We try to build working partnerships with our clients and we take nothing for granted.

"Our approach is hands-on and personal to ensure that every job runs smoothly.

"For example, we aim to cause as little disruption to our clients as possible during a refurbishment, so one of the things we offer is an out-of-hours installation service with our staff working through the night.

"Also, we keep our prices keen and we try our hardest to provide a top class service.

"I'm proud of what the team has achieved in quite a short time. It's not bad really for a business that started in the garage."

For details see tcigb.co.uk