A BURY company's "gate" expectations have certainly been fulfilled after achieving a remarkable £500,000 turnover in 18 months of trading.

Regency Gates and Railings has now established a firm foothold in the commercial and domestic exterior homes market.

The company, based in Badger Street, manufactures and fits wrought-iron railings and gates for homes and offices.

Thanks to their growing reputation, Regency has just landed a contract from well-known housebuilders Barratt Homes to carry out work at 27 of their new-build sites. At the same time, the business has also been approached to fit safety railings and fencing at a site in Droylsden. This was as a direct result of Regency's close working relationship with local building maintenance company APD.

Regency sales manager Mr Dave McDougall said: "We manufacture all the wrought iron railings and gates here, including automated gates. We also do industrial gates and security grilles. The fact that Barratt's had the confidence to give us 27 sites shows how big we are getting in such a short space of time.

"Maria McMahon and James McDougall launched the company. When we started, it was just in one room no bigger than a bedroom. Now, we have moved into a 6,000 sq unit."

Commenting on the rapid growth of Regency, illustrated by a clutch of new contracts and an enviable financial performance, Dave continued: "This is all due to hard work and good products.

"Probably 75 per cent of our business is commercial with the remainder dom- estic. We manufacture everything ourselves. We started with two employees and during the last 18 months the workforce has increased to ten."

The company has invested in a £10,000 metal bending machine.