WHITCHURCH engineering firm Landia celebrated a relative return to normal this week by hosting an open day.

The event, held on Wednesday, September 8, gave the firm and the companies it works with a chance to show off their equipment as well as meet up in person.

The firm makes specialist pumps, designed to chop up things like effluent and food waste, and its equimpent can be found from large water treatment plants, to small farm slurry pits.

Although it, has remained operational over the last 18 months, with engineers at the firm being essential workers, most business has been conducted via software like Teams and Zoom.

Sales manager of the firm, Paul Davies, said although the firm was able to carry on operating through the Covid-19 pandemic, some unexpected surprises were thrown into the mix.

He said: "Initially things were quiet, as although our staff were essential workers, it was hard to convince people they could go out.

"Once we had got over that first hurdle, the main challenge was finding accommodation on jobs.

"We often had to use Airbnb, as a lot of staff didn't want to use hotels as that was where all the doctors and nurses treating people with Covid were staying."

Paul says despite these challenges, sales remained consistent throughout the pandemic.

"Sales and service did well," he added. "If you looked at the figures you wouldn't have known there was a pandemic going on.

"A lot of it has been reminding people that we were still open for business.

"When it comes to the bigger jobs they have been on hold, but generally it's been fine."

Paul also said national events have had an effect on the business, in unexpected ways.

"It's been a struggle at times," he said.

"The loo-roll shortage was actually a big problem for us, as people were using all-sorts instead of toilet paper.

"We had a lot of cases of plants being blocked that we had to sort out."

Despite the large-scale nature of the business, Paul says throughout the last year, the smaller customers have still been catered for.

"We've got a Shropshire farm about five-miles from here who gets the same level of support that these big plants get.

"I know it's the cliché 'no job too big or too small' but everyone gets the same service.

"We've done very well over the last year, thanks to the staff and co-manager Liz Robinson."