Published: Tuesday, 5th January, 2010 4:37pm

Lighting the way through recession

by Alan Bunce

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A COUPLE who launched a new lighting shop just before the recession have re-fused to let the downturn dim their hopes of success.

Paul and Heather Mailley proved to be so switched on they are currently about to expand the business.

Both had been made redundant within a year of one another. Paul was a mechanical and electrical engineer at Mars confectionery in Slough and Heather worked on customer service for communications giant Verizon in Reading.

Redundancy sparked the idea to open Twyford Lighting, an independent supplier of lights and fittings, in April 2007.

Then recession hit and Heather and Paul faced a steep uphill battle to win over tightened budgets. But they did so well they are moving from Station Road to a shop more than three times the size in the High Street. Heather says the village position helped them succeed.

She said: "A lot of it is because of the location of Twyford. We don't have big stores near us. You have to go to Reading, Wokingham or Bracknell and there is a kitchen shop near us doing very well."

She added: "We have outgrown this shop. Customer orders are on the floor of the shop."

Low overheads have helped and a good deal on the lease for the new shop will help keep costs to a minimum at the bigger site.

But another advantage is that, thanks to Paul's expertise, he can go out to customers and install fittings, something the big DIY shops can't match.

Heather said: "People are amazed. They say 'if I go to B&Q I don't get that'."