Uckfield firm specialises in turning dreams into reality

Legoland ticket booths, a giant Tony the Kelloggs tiger sign and elaborate interior features at a refurbished casino in Holland have one thing in common.

They were created by a company owned by Uckfield man Allan Curtis who now has his sights set on involvement in massive construction projects that will get under way in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics.

Design & Display Structures prides itself on turning dreams into reality. Architects conjure up breath-taking features then this company uses its design, engineering, manufacturing and installation skills to build complex moulded shapes to complement their vision.

Traditional domes and futuristic pods are created with equal aplomb using a variety of materials such as GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) and veneered timber depending on the job in hand.

Most recently the company has finished work on a giant intricate ‘nest’ and canopy with feature lighting at the Holland Casino in Rotterdam. It is also installing check-in desks and illuminated cash points there.

Allan, who lives in Hempstead Road, has raised a few eyebrows in the past when walking through a shopping precinct heading for a building site carrying, with ease, what looked like a large slab of stone.

This is because his company specialises in use of the most modern materials to create features that years ago would have taken huge resources to heave into place.

Time and money are saved, manufacturing methods are eco-friendly, maintenance is easy and, incredibly, some of the products can be recycled in the future, perhaps shredded for use in road metaling.

Allan said: ‘Everything we have done in the past and everything we are doing now adds to our industry experience meaning we can interpret people’s concepts and roll them out very quickly and efficiently.’

For example, he added, fully fitted visitor kiosks similar to those made for Legoland and the Holland Casino, could be used at Olympic venues, even be moved from place to place wherever they were needed.

Allan is 43 years old and married to Karen. He has five children, aged between 21 and five, and a two-year-old grandson. His 16-year-old son Simon, a student at Uckfield Community Technology College lives with Allan and Karen.

In addition to D&D Allan runs, with Karen, Bathstore franchises in Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks. Karen is an Uckfield Chamber of Commerce member.

Allan is a member of Buxted football club, plays squash, enjoys go-karting and usually gets a podium place driving for the Richard Place Dobson team of Crawley. He also likes property development and has plans to alter the home he moved into in last May.

For now though Allan is seeking to build strong links with architects so that when work begins in earnest on Olympic contracts they know his business has the capability to turn concepts into reality and thrives on solving the trickiest problems.