For more than 20 years Discount Tile Supplies has successfully grown at the same premises and expanded.

Run by Edoardo Matarazzo, the company, which sells wall and floor tiles, has moved with the times and today boasts a big internet market in addition to its showroom in Milton Road, Gravesend.

It now has its own eBay and company website – www.tilesupplies.org – offering competitive prices.

It is also an affiliated and long-term member of the Tile Association.

As well as specialising in small contracts – supplying local designers and architects – the company has a sales portfolio that includes Coca-Cola’s head office in London, Emirates Airlines departure lounges, Greene King pubs, Land Rover garages, Cook Frozen Foods and Chelsea Football Club, to name a few. It has also supplied the local community such as Gravesham council and Gravesend’s Gudwara with interesting tiles and mosaics.

Mr Matarazzo said: “As we cherry pick our suppliers and products, we can be at the forefront of the up-to-date tile trends throughout the world. We visit the two biggest tile exhibitions in the world every year to choose our suppliers and tiles.

“We are also able to change our route to market as we have many supply markets, web contacts, shops, architects, contractors, local builders and retail customers and the ability to meet all their demands.”

Mr Matarazzo believes that with Gravesham’s pending development projects, there is likely to be the scope to go for the more unusual type of tile décor.

Discount Tile Supplies is one of the entrants in the Dartford and Gravesham Business Awards. This year’s award sponsors are Dartford council, Gravesham council, Barnes Roffe, Kent Business School (University of Kent), the KM Group (Dartford Messenger and Gravesend Messenger), Lloyds Bank, Thomson Snell and Passmore, Edinburgh House and the University of Greenwich.

Entries have now closed. The winner will be announced later this year.