A DARLINGTON company has been shortlisted in the 2016 edition of the "1000 Companies to Inspire Britain", compiled by the London Stock Exchange.

Kimberley Caravans & Motorhomes opened their seven acre Darlington branch at Burtree Lane, just off junction 58 of the A1, in 2012. They took the site over from Discover Leisure, which had gone into administration, and today have 37 staff based there.

The family run business has its head-quarters in Nottingham where it employs 33 staff on a two acre site just off Junction 26 on the M1. Established in 1984, it currently has a turnover of more than £10 million.

The Stock Exchange report is an annual celebration of some of the fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK.

Anna Soubry, Minister for Small Business, visited the Nottingham, site and said: "I am delighted to see Kimberley Caravans within this report as it recognises those businesses which are doing so much to keep Britain thriving as the economy continues to strengthen."

Chris Lowe, managing director, said: "We’ve continued to grow steadily, putting quality customer service at the forefront of our development. The team is aware of the fact that customers are becoming much more discerning and will look for the best service and price.

"The economy has been challenging but we have seen more people wanting to invest money in caravans to holiday in this country. Many of our customers are new to caravanning and have decided it’s much more fun to take your holiday where you want to take it."