"Being able to call on the support of Hyndburn Enterprise Trust helped the company get off to a sound start," says entrepreneur Keith Kitchener.

Did you know that all electrical portable appliances must conform to the Electricity at Work Act 1989? Keith Kitchener and his son Robert knew that meeting this legal requirement was the perfect opportunity to harness their combined expertise in the electrical and electronics industry and start their own business. 

After taking early retirement Keith Kitchener, a qualified electrical and electronic engineer with 35 years experience in the electrical industry, came to Hyndburn Enterprise Trust in 1996 with a business idea to offer local companies safety testing of their electrical portable appliances. Keith had lots of enthusiasm and industry experience but needed help to transform a sound idea into a successful business venture.

Keith nurtured his ambition of establishing a business to provide a comprehensive service in electrical testing with the help of Hyndburn Trust Personal Business Adviser, David Ball, who supported Keith at every stage of the development of Kitchener 2000. The Trust provided a wide range of business support, ranging from marketing, costing, bookkeeping and planning to regular on-site monitoring business reviews.

As the company expanded Keith's son, Robert, a time-served electrician who provides back-up for testing operations, joined in partnership with his father. Keith's wife, Frances, brings her bookkeeping and computing expertise to the company in her role as accounts administrator making the business a solid family concern.

The company's philosophy of providing a quality service to committed customers has proved a major contributor in establishing a large and loyal customer base covering the whole of the UK. The business grew rapidly, becoming a limited company in 2000, and increasing its employees from three to 20 skilled workers.