BRADFORD: Manningham Concrete is on track for recovery after worst winter for 30 years. Managing director Alan Tomlinson said the closure of Cemetery Road in December due to a burst water main outside its Lidget Green base halted an upturn in trade which had been running at 10% ahead of the previous year.

This was followed by the snowfalls in January, which brought business to a halt, except for sales of grit. Now things are back on track with sales up by 20% as demand from the trade and the public bouncing back, he said.

The company, which has three branches, has also seen trade bounce back at its new Victoria Road, Eccleshill, depot where sales were hard hit with the onset of the recession.

"Construction is usually the first into recession and the first out and it looks as though the trade is leading the way back to recovery, if our experience is anything to go by," Mr Tomlinson said.

This month, the company launched a new roofing product range at its Scotchman Road branch. Footfall in its kitchen and bathroom showrooms had also picked up 'significantly' and the company is maintaining its 'Buy-British' campaign launched last year, stocking primarily UK-made products.

Mr Tomlinson said: "We've been through a difficult patch due to the recession and then compounded by the road closure and the severe weather. But, we're booming again with sales well up and demand growing from both trade and retail customers. Things are looking much better and this had enabled us to invest in the new truck to expand our delivery fleet."