Town firm chosen for directory

Andrew Walsh, proud Managing Director of AW Repair Group, holds the 1,000 Businesses To Inspire Britain directory which includes the Sleaford-based company.

The directory, compiled by the London Stock Exchange Group, lists the top 1,000 businesses considered to be the most inspiring, dynamic and fastest growing.

The vehicle crash repair group was launched by Andrew Walsh in 1993 in a 3,000 square feet unit at Woodbridge Road Industrial Estate. The company has since grown to be ranked by turnover as one of the country’s top 15 accident repair groups with six centres covering the East Midlands and South Yorkshire and two further branches opening this summer.

Managing director Andrew Walsh said: “This has come as a complete surprise. We did not enter a competition or put ourselves forward. The company has been selected by some of the most highly respected financial establishments.

“It is an absolute honour to be recognised as an inspiring company.”

To be selected for the list, businesses must have demonstrated positive growth in revenue over the last three years, between £6 million and £250 million, and outperform their sector peers.

The company, which employs 45 people at its headquarters on Sleaford Enterprise Park and more than 125 across the group, also holds prestigious manufacturer approvals such as BMW, Audi, LandRover, Volkswagen and Mini and is one of only a handful of facilities across the country able to repair specialist aluminium used in modern vehicle construction. The group repairs more than 220 vehicles a week for household name motor insurers.