For many years Hughes Forrest operated from a single branch on the river Usk, moving to its current Pillgwenlly site after a compulsory purchase in 1970. Co- Managing Director Richard Brians (Image: Nikita Singh)The big shift came in 1998, when the business bought Blackwood Building Supplies in Pontllanfraith. Hughes Forrest Ltd Bolt street, Newport Warehouse (Image: Nikita Singh)In 2018 they purchased a four-acre site in Aberfan from the Grafton Group, giving them a sixth branch and a network across south-east Wales. Kitchen collection at Hughes Forrest Ltd Bolt street, Newport (Image: Nikita Singh)Many of Hughes Forrest’s 106 employees have been with the company for decades, with some joining as teenagers giving the business a distinctly family feel and deep local knowledge. Hughes Forrest Ltd Bolt street, Newport (Image: Nikita Singh)Covid brought challenges and opportunities: as people stayed at home and chose to improve their properties, Hughes Forrest saw a surge in demand.