By Jenny Hirschkorn (Telegraph.co.uk)

Glasgow-born Andrew Meek developed an appetite for business when he was working as a 16-year-old apprentice at Rover in Birmingham.

"Although I was an engineering apprentice," he explains, "I managed to get a placement in the legal department. Working with the legal director and chief executive opened my eyes to what was involved in setting up and running a business."

From there, he got a job as a contract manager with a Birmingham shop-fitting company and it didn't take him long to realise that he was developing the skills and experience that would enable him to set up his own firm.

It had long been his intention to return to his native Scotland, and the fact that many Glasgow shop and office fit-outs were going to contractors from across the border led him to the conclusion that there was a gap in the market for a local specialist.

Armed with a £5,000 loan from the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust and £1,000 of personal funds, AGM Interiors was incorporated and Meek set about the challenging task of landing his first contract. He pestered larger building firms, offering his services as a sub-contractor, and finally managed to pin down the managing director of one company which had been putting off quoting for a glass-partitioning job because it was too small for them.

"Although the job was only worth around £1,500, it felt absolutely great to get off the mark," he recalls. "That client is still a good customer of mine."

From there, the work began rolling in and the size and complexity of the jobs grew and grew. The first project he completed from start to finish as the only contractor on site was for a branch of Subway, the sandwich restaurant, and brought in £30,000. More work for Subway followed, and other big names like Calvin Klein and Hewlett Packard were added to the client list.

The business's success has been recognised by a clutch of awards, and the prize money Meek received when he was named Shell Livewire's Renfrewshire Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2006 couldn't have come at a better time. "It helped us with our move to new premises, where we have our offices, workshop and storage all in one location."