Gordon has a particular interest in developing the skills of young people and operates a very successful apprenticeship scheme. He says: "We are one of the very few companies actively investing in young 16 - 18 year old apprentices. When they start they have no experience in machinery and we train them to a very high standard.

These young guys are the backbone and the future of GA. Business continues to grow and currently we have over 20 state of the art CNC lathes with a turnover of £1.25 million."

"My long term ambition is to design and develop our own project.

At present we're looking to maximize production by introducing a nightshift to meet customer demand. It's a myth that you can work what hours you want. My customers dictate when and how long I work. That's probably why we're so successful."

GA Engineering is among 21 enterprises being showcased to represent more than 60,000 started by The Prince's Trust since the Business Programme was founded.

Gordon met HRH The Prince of Wales at an event in London to mark the launch of the 21st anniversary celebrations of The Trust's Business Programme. The national exhibition - by Rankin and Trust-supported photographers Hilary Knox and David Woolfall - starts in London and begins a UK tour early next year.

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