AN expanding Bolton removals company -- now one of the biggest in the North-west -- is planning more sites and acquisitions in 2003.

The Moving Group, which was established in 1998, has seen its annual turnover rocket from £100,000 a year to £1.2 million and expects it to be up to £1.8 million before long.

"The market is good," said Managing Director Keith Hardwidge.

"Enquiries are increasing by the month."

Mr Hardwidge, aged 46, who lives in Harwood, started the business at premises on the Brownlow Business Park in Halliwell with co-director Joanne Herman and four employees.

This July it moved into part of the former British Aerospace works in Lostock -- the company rents 88,000 sq ft of space from owners First Industrial -- and the workforce is now 35.

About £300,000 was spent on transforming a building which had been empty for four years.

Mr Hardwidge, who went to St Simon and St Jude's Primary School and Hayward Secondary Modern, Bolton, was made redundant from his job as a petrol station manager in 1979.

He borrowed £300 from his father and set-up his own transport business with a 35 cwt van.

His career after that included a spell as General Manager for the Midlands and Merseyside with removals company Pickfords.

The Moving Group started when Mr Hardwidge took over the Bolton firm of Lee Brothers and has grown through the addition of Ken Devine & Son (Manchester), Allen's of Shaw (Oldham), Turner's (Preston) and Richards (Kendal).

The firm's 16 vehicles are being branded The Moving Group, but they will continue to acknowledge the previous companies. Although the traditional moving business is doing well, the biggest growth area is the Self Store system -- an American idea which has grown in the UK over the last five years.

The Moving Group has 112 units of various sizes which are available for domestic and commercial users to access as and when they like. "They are 25 per cent full in the first five weeks," Mr Hardwidge said.

A further 140 units are planned by the end of 2003.

There is also a separate company, Archive Manager, which looks after boxed files for clients such as solicitors, local authorities and IT companies.

The Moving Group was runner-up in the Customer Service Excellence category at the last Bolton and Bury Business Awards.