A family-owned joinery firm is celebrating 80 years

in business.

AA Taylor was founded by Albert Arthur Taylor in a workshop in Porthall Road, Brighton, in November 1921 and has expanded from a one-man operation to a team of ten.

The firm was later run by Albert's son, Denis, who was responsible for its modernisation with the introduction of updated machinery.

The company is now housed in a former stables block in Shaftesbury Place, near London Road station, and run by Denis' son Andrew and his wife Sue.

Projects the firm has worked on include supplying bedheads for the summer palace of the Sultan of Oman and fitting out the Royal Pavilion shop, the box office at the Dome and Donatello Restaurant and providing new windows at Newhaven Fort.

Mr Taylor said the firm had worked in most of the biggest building in the Brighton area.

For 42 years, it had been the workplace of machinist Bryan Sheppard. Other members of staff with long-service records were David Peach, 30 years, and Alf Williams, who is due to retire next year after 26 years.

Mrs Taylor said: "To stay ahead we have had to keep up with technology, even in a traditional business like this.

"We still rely heavily on traditional skills and tools but have recently installed a system called mitre master, which enables the speedy, high-performance and top-quality manufacture of fully-finished windows, doors and conservatories.

"We have a spray paint system which uses a micro-porous water-based paint or stain.

"We work closely with builders, architects, local authorities and building-owners to iron out problems before they occur."

Working with large quantities of wood puts an obligation on firms to adopt environmentally-sound policies.

Mrs Taylor said: "Our policy is to source all the timber we use from importers who operate a sustainable, managed forest programme in the country of origin.

"Plastic is used a lot these days for windows and doors but timber from managed forests is much less harmful to the environment.

"Plastic causes pollution in its manufacture and its disposal and it doesn't last as long as wood.

"We like to promote the view of Mark Strutt, of Greenpeace, who said timber's environmental performance was far superior to plastic.

"The company has done well over the past 80 years and we are all looking forward to celebrating our centenary."