An entrepeneur who has built a profitable roofing business through the recession has set his sights on creating a portfolio of companies across East Anglia.

Scott Warman, 27, founded Anglia Roofing Solutions in 2009 – despite the onset of the recession and gloom hanging over the property industry.

From starting as a sole trader and now in his second full year of trading, Mr Warman has built a �1.5m turnover business which employs 42 people.

He now plans to create a portfolio of 10 companies operating across the region and across different sectors.

Mr Warman's first business specialises in roofing renovation and replacement for residential properties – including the use of a novel rubber roofing material for flat-top buildings and structures.

Last month Mr Warman moved the operation from the Ferndale Business Centre off Norwich's Dereham Road to offices, a showroom and storage facility at the Hellesdon Hall Indus-trial estate on the edge of the city.

'I always wanted to be my own boss,' Mr Warman said.

'I've put every single penny of my savings into this business and I even took on a part-time job when I first started out so I had some money coming in while I was getting the company off the ground.

'I've had no form of help in terms of grants and I generated my own capital. I believe in doing things differently and better than anyone else and using new technology.

'We'd outgrown Ferndale within six months – we went from one room to five rooms there very quickly.

'But now we have an opportunity and the space in these premises to grow in future.'

Before starting his own business, Mr Warman worked for two major home-improvement businesses – becoming an area manager responsible for a team of 34 staff by the age of 21. He said he was proud of the Anglia Roofing's performance in terms of repeat business and word-of-mouth recommendations from customer to customer.

'We are very much focused on our core of Norfolk and this region and the residential market – but people have been asking if we'll start to look at commercial properties too,' Mr Warman said.

But plans are already under way to create a portfolio of companies operating across the region in different sectors – including a high-street outlet.

'I want to have a portfolio of 10 companies and I always said that I'd set up new businesses when the first one was self-sufficient,' Mr Warman said. 'Well, Anglia Roofing is self-sufficient, so I'm looking at some new opportunities, including something in the King's Lynn area at the moment.'