THE UK Minister for Business visited one of the town’s biggest firms yesterday to open its new HQ and distribution centre.

Michael Fallon spent an afternoon in Swindon and toured Oak Furniture Land, the UK’s largest retailer of solid hardwood furniture, which only two weeks ago relocated to a new larger site at Viscount Way, South Marston.

Earlier in the day, he visited the offices of Forward Swindon, in Farnsby Street, to find out what the economic development firm and Swindon Council are doing to assist the future growth of the borough. Forward Swindon helped Oak Furniture Land to open its store at Mannington.

Mr Fallon said: “What’s unusual about Swindon is this is a community that’s obviously for growth. That’s growth locally grown.

“We have a team of public and private partners who are committed to expanding Swindon, making sure there’s sufficient housing and future space for companies to grow and develop.

“We have got a lot of other communities that are nervous about more expansion. What’s refreshing about Swindon is this is a place that’s going for growth.”

Businessman Jason Bannister started Oak Furniture Land on online auction website eBay. After becoming eBay’s largest retailer in 2006, the business evolved with the rapid opening of stores across the UK, which now number 42.

Rapid expansion has meant an increase in the number of employees at the UK headquarters in Swindon by more than 100 from 134 to 240 in the previous year alone, and there are plans to create 500 new jobs across the UK in the next three years.

The firm, which chose to relocate from Chippenham to Swindon in April 2011, is still in South Marston but has relocated its headquarters and distribution centre across the road to a former Morrisons depot.

To meet customer demand, the 300,000 sq ft state-of-the-art distribution centre, equal in size to four football pitches, accommodates 23,000 cubic metres of stock on average.

Mr Bannister, the managing director, said he was delighted with the Government recognition.

He said: “It’s brilliant, amazing for us, amazing for Swindon. We have a relatively new business and having something like that is fantastic for us.

“Swindon itself is a great place for a business. The quality of staff we can get from Swindon, and the transport links for Swindon in general are fantastic for us as a business.”

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson, who issued the invite to Mr Fallon, said: “I was delighted to showcase Oak Furniture Land to the minister, because despite challenging economic conditions in recent years, their business has just shown phenomenal growth.

“And they will be becoming increasingly key in our local economy and it was a real opportunity for the minister to talk about what was the key to their success and how Government can support them more as they continue to grow.”