A MAN who left a desk job to set up his own family-run company is celebrating ten years in business.

Richard O’Loughlin left his job with Essex Police as a criminal records bureau vetting manager to start his own removals business after being inspired by watching The Apprentice.

He sold his car, bought a new van and put the correct insurances in place.

The day he handed in his notice, he found out his now fiancee Louise O’Brien was pregnant with their second child.

Louise said: “We decided that it was meant to be and carried on.”

Mr O Removals, based in Tiptree, was set up in April 2012. Richard ran the business alone until it became busier and Louise joined in November.

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The company has since gone from strength to strength and now employs six members of staff, all trained by Richard himself.

It offers services for domestic and commercial moves, both in the area and nationally.

They have seven sign-written vans and Louise says they are hoping to expand and buy more.

Over the past ten years, Louise and Richard, both 39, have taken part in fundraising events for charities such as St Helena Hospice, Farleigh Hospice, Amy and Friends and the Seesaw Animal Charity.

They have also scooped business awards in customer care and service, and won a chance to meet Theo Paphitis from Dragons’ Den in his Small Business Sunday awards in 2017.

“We’re verified members of Move Assured, Trust a Trader, Trust Pilot and Trading Standards,” Louise said.

“We even survived a pandemic. With safety measures in place, we stayed open throughout the Covid lockdowns and helped many people move, some of whom had been let down and were desperate for assistance, and NHS staff who needed to relocate.”

The business’s tenth anniversary next month will be a double celebration for the couple as it will come after their wedding, which is set to take place in three weeks.

Louise added: “After a wonderful ten years in business, we look forward to many more.”