A HUSBAND and wife team who worked their way up from the bottom rung at a removals firm have completed a management buy-out.

Stephen Reed, a one-time driver with Pearson, in Middlesbrough, and his wife, Frances, who started as a trainee accountant, took control of the company this week.

Last year, Yorkshire Bank's Tees Valley financial solutions centre provided a £500,000 loan to the pair to buy shares in the company where they had each worked for 20 years.

Now they have taken full control, owning 100 per cent of the company shares in Pearson, which was established by Edwin Pearson, in 1917.

Mrs Reed, who is the managing director at Pearson, which employs 75 people, said: "When you hit every rung of the ladder, you know exactly what you expect of the staff when you ask them to do a task.

"I was always very ambitious and very competitive and I knew, after a few years, I wanted to work my way up as high as possible.''

Pearson, which has now been re-branded Pearson Home Moving, recently won two Motor Trade Awards for its fleet of removal vans and the staff who use them.

The new owners were accompanied by a small team of employees on a trip to London for a presentation ceremony compered by comedian Jack Dee.

Mrs Reed, who has a nine-year-old son, said: "The achievement of the buy-out has been made all the more exciting by the news that we beat tough competition to be awarded the Customer Care and Livery of the Year awards at the Motor Trade Awards this week.

"We are both so proud to be at the helm of such a successful company, with an amazing team around us."

She added: "It's been hard work for the past year, but the end result is definitely worth all the extra work. Stephen and I have a number of plans for the future of the company.