A York surveyor who broke free to start his own business has landed a contract to project manage a new £6.6 million B&Q superstore in Derby.

For David Brown, 51, of DK Brown Associates in Grange Close, Skelton, the contract worth nearly £60,000 is the biggest he has won since leaving the former DTZ property agency in York two-and-a-half years ago.

Now he has said a big thank-you to his business mentor, Norman Whyte, of the York, Selby & Malton Business Advice Centre.

"Norman made me see that the notion breaking free wasn't just a mid-life crisis. It was a case of success that was always waiting to happen. Running a business can be lonely, but Norman has always been on hand to help. His experience and professionalism has been invaluable."

Mr Brown first "B & Q'd it" when, while with DTZ, he acted for investor, The Prudential, to monitor the construction of the superstore in Hull Road, York.

The Pru was so pleased with his work that it invited him to oversee the construction of another B & Q store being built at Craigavon, in Northern Ireland.

His monthly flights out meant that he struck up a friendship with Giles Membrey, director of the developer, Rioja Developments.

It was through him that Mr Brown got his first big break after leaving DTZ to strike out on his own. Mr Membrey invited him to survey an 18th century house with barn and swimming pool he had bought near Bordeaux in France.

Later Mr Membrey asked Mr Brown to carry out acquisition surveys of existing buildings on the old B & Q site in Derby

Now he has asked Mr Brown to project manage the complete new build of the 80,000sq ft Derby B & Q which his firm is funding. Mr Brown is working with the WT Partnership, quantity surveyors of Leeds and Nottingham and expects to complete his work by 2006.

Mr Brown said: "There is a real possibility that Irish investors in this project will be seeking other ventures in Britain and, if they use the same construction team, I will be asked to project manage again."

Updated: 10:49 Monday, October 04, 2004