A STEEL erection and cladding firm in South Newton is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

B&E Erection Services was formed in April 1994 by Barney Lawrence and Richard Hicks, with Eric Lawrence joining the company about a year later.

They started steel erecting and cladding for AEP Steel Fabrications, Barbers, John Reid’s, Ashcroft and Metal Tec, and the business quickly grew, doubling in size in the first four years.

The company was based at a workshop at Boswells with an office at AEP Steel Fabrications, but moved to a bigger office and workshop in South Newton allowing it to take on larger fabrication projects.

The firm made, built and clad about 60 industrial units at Churchfields Industrial Estate, as well as a similar number in Old Sarum, Devizes, Malborough, Chippenham, Southampton and Portsmouth.

Expanding further, it invested in a mobile crane and rented three more workshops.

The company bought its new site from Peter Chalke in January 2008 and built a new office and workshops, which it moved into in October 2009.

B&E Erection Services works for leisure group Tussauds, on projects at Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Alton Towers and Legoland.

Its projects also include McDonald’s and Farnborough Airport, as well as care homes and industrial units all over the south of England.

The firm is currently working on a new 90-bedroom hotel at Thorpe Park.