IT weighs twice as much as a Range Rover and is about to play a pivotal role in the production of oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico.

The world's biggest valve has just been manufactured by Knutsford-based Oliver Valves and later this year it will be installed in the `Thunder Hawk' oil field.

When it is moored 1,800 metres beneath the sea, it will ensure that 60,000 barrels of oil and 70m standard cubic feet of gas are successfully - and safely - brought to the surface each day.

In the space of just 30 years, Oliver Valves has evolved from a one-man company operated from the garage at the side of engineer Michael Oliver's home to an international business.

At any time, members of its 200 staff - who include engineers, designers and fabricators - can be found working in far-flung corners of the world supplying valves for use in the oil, gas, petro-chemical and power generation markets.

To the end of last year, the company had sales in excess of £40m for the first time after experiencing a 30 per cent growth in trade year-on-year.

Michael Oliver utilised his experience as a production engineer - as well as his knowledge of the valve sector - to found the company in 1979.

Slowly building the business and gaining a loyal customer base, Michael ran the company from his garage for five years before moving to his first unit on the Parkgate industrial estate in Knutsford in 1984.

The company now boasts six factories on that same estate and - jokes the company's managing director David Cornwell - has virtually taken the site over.

"As a business, we are now selling in 50 countries and have sales offices in China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Dubai, India and America," said David.

"But this business was also born on the back of the North Sea oil and gas, petrochemical and refining industries - and these sectors remain our major customers.

"I would say that one of the main reasons why Oliver Valves has been so successful is because of its ability to develop new products - like the valve for Thunder Hawk.

Concepts

"As we speak, around six or seven new product concepts are being devised, and this is also an integral part of what we do."

Today, there are three branches to the business - Oliver Valves, Oliver Valvetek and Oliver Twinsafe.

The original company - Oliver Valves - still specialises in the manufacture of specialist valves called `needle' and `ball' which are used to control the flow of oil and petrochemicals.

In 1995, the business was expanded to include Oliver Valvetek, after Michael identified an opportunity to create a range of valves specifically for the production of oil and gas in the `sub-sea' industry.

And in 2000 the company established Oliver Twinsafe, in response to the oil industry's increased demands for safety.

This division of the business has developed a safety device called double block and bleed ball valves which cater for the high pressure levels experienced in oil fields.

It was one of these valves which the company manufactured for the Thunder Hawk oil field, and it's this innovation which has helped Oliver Valves experience massive growth over the past seven years.

"Michael Oliver is still at the company's helm, and I think that in the past we have had a low profile because we've always been focused on our markets," added David.

"We don't want to be the biggest company in the world, but what we do want is to be the best. But we are now at the point where we want to triple the size of our business, and that's something that we are looking at achieving in the next five to 10 years.

"We also intend to do this without borrowing vast sums of money, which has always been part of the company's core ethos.

"Over the past few years, we've done much to enhance the safety of off-shore oil and gas production - and this is a growth area for us in the future."

David believes that oil and gas production will prove to be a growth market for the foreseeable future - despite environmental concerns.

Around 75 per cent of Oliver Valves' trade centres on offshore oil and gas production, while the remaining 25 per cent of business is divided between sectors operating in power generation, petro-chemicals and mining.

"Oliver Valves is a Cheshire-based business - and the company is proud to have become one of Knutsford's largest employers," added David.

"What's more, we have no aspiration of selling out, as this couldn't be a more exciting and interesting sector to work in.

"Oil and gas production is here to stay for the foreseeable future - whatever your opinion about it.

"But one of the things that the company is good at is spotting where the market is going, and that's why it will continue to prosper in the future."

Factfile:

Company Oliver Valves

Main business Design, manufacture and installation of valves for oil and gas companies among others.

Headquarters Parkgate industrial estate in Knutsford

Founded 1979

Managing director David Cornwell

Turnover £40m in 2007

Employees 200

Shareholders Mostly owned by Oliver family