A CONSTRUCTION company started by a man who learned the trade as a builder's office junior celebrates its 25th anniversary tomorrow.

Randall Orchard Construction, on Richmond's Gallowfields trading estate, now employs 90 people and last year saw a turnover of £7m.

Mr Randall Orchard set up the company in 1976 when builder Mr George Shaw, for whom he had worked for 16 years, retired. Mr Shaw died about three years ago.

Mr Orchard set up his own company and took on his former employer's workforce, which in those days numbered between 16 and 20.

"My first major job was Richmondshire cricket club, which was negotiated during the transition period, but we soon moved into house building and conversion work," he said.

The company began in cramped offices in Rosemary House, on the corner of Victoria Road and Rosemary Lane, Richmond. In 1986, it moved to its present home, a purpose-built unit on the trading estate.

The firm's biggest project to date was the £1.2m redevelopment of the former Fawcett pie factory on the same estate. Other notable schemes include the Anchor sheltered housing scheme opposite the Swale House council offices in Frenchgate, Richmond, which were also refurbished by Randall Orchard.

Sports developments have included Catterick golf club's new clubhouse; changing rooms at Bedale bowls club; improvement and extension of Richmond golf club and building Brompton-on-Swale community and sports hall.

The company also built the Swaledale fell rescue organisation's headquarters at Catterick Garrison and rejuvenated the old Fairfield shoe factory in Richmond into a corner of the trading estate which now houses Royal Mail, Swale veterinary practice, Jonathan Fry finance and Richmond Motor Company.

Current projects include designing and building the new Colburn medical centre and the completion, after 12 years' work, of the Garden Village residential complex in Richmond.

The firm is also renovating a semi-derelict house in Millgate, just off Richmond market place; developing housing at the town's Scots Dyke and Tarn's dairy site off Darlington Road, and hopes to convert the former Frances Lee fashion house to flats.

Most of the work is undertaken within a 25-mile radius of Richmond.

Among the workforce are several people who started out with the company in 1976 and are still on the payroll. "We give employees a tankard after 20 years and we have given out six or seven of those - and some of them are still with us after 25 years," said Mr Orchard.

"Variety is what has kept the company going. To keep all these people in work we have had not only to provide housing but also all forms of contract work, design and build projects, and to re-invest the capital from the company, turn it over again, to create our own market to some extent."

One example of this was the Brompton-on-Swale business park, which Randall Orchard completed recently for part-rent and part-sale. Capital from that scheme has been ploughed into a new garage and picture framer's workshop at Colburn.

Mr Orchard paid tribute to long-serving members of the management team, including Mr Rod Hunter, office manager, with 20 years' service, and chief contracts manager Mr Keith Nelson, an employee for 23 years.

They had been joined by relative newcomers Mr Graeme Newton, construction director; Mr Stuart Whiteside, head of the drawing department, and Mr Andrew I'Anson, chief buyer and job co-ordinator.

A combined Christmas and 25th anniversary celebration is planned for the company later in the year