BUSINESSMAN Graham Thornton has turned a small tennis court business into one of the country's fastest growing companies.

His decision to expand his East Lancashire firm into building sports grounds proved the catalyst for a massive sales explosion, according to a national survey.

G Thornton (Contracts), based at Altham Industrial Estate, near Accrington, saw its sales rocket 10-fold from £616,000 in 1996 to £6.14 million last year, ranking it 19th out of Britain's 100 fastest expanding firms.

The company, which employs 20 staff, clinched a £1.1 million deal to build sports facilities for the Millennium Youth Games, held in Southampton this year.

In the summer, the firm announced a £500,000 to build a floodlit synthetic sports pitch at Stonyhurst College, near Clitheroe.

Mr Thornton went on to buy an artificial grass maker, Nordon Enterprises, and expanded into creating running tracks and hockey pitches.

The company counts public schools as well as private sports clubs and councils among its clients.

G Thornton, which was founded in 1978, builds about 15 artificial pitches and three running tracks a year.

It featured in the Fast Track 100 league published in the Sunday Times.

Mr Thornton was away from the company this week and not available to comment.