Two engineers started a precision-equipment company from a Blackburn garage in 2021; five years later it was exporting to more than 70 countries

What began with two founders, a garage and a belief that unwanted technical equipment still had plenty of life left in it has become a remarkable international business story. In January 2021, Muhammad Geloo and Aziz Bham launched TT Instruments from the back of a vehicle inspection garage in Blackburn, Lancashire. They had no investors, no loans and no previous experience running a business. Their idea was simple, source high-value precision instruments that companies and laboratories no longer needed, restore them where necessary and give them a second life by selling them to customers who needed specialist equipment. Five years later, the small start-up had grown into a multi-million-pound business exporting to more than 70 countries across six continents. In 2026, that rapid international growth earned TT Instruments the King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.How two founders started TT Instruments from a garageTT Instruments began in January 2021 when Geloo and Bham started selling specialist test and measurement equipment from the back of a vehicle garage in Blackburn. According to The Lancashire Telegraph reporting on its King's Award, the founders had no external investors, loans or traditional business backing when they began. Instead, they saw an opportunity in equipment that large organisations were disposing of despite it still being valuable and functional. Their early operation was small, but the business model allowed them to connect unwanted precision equipment with engineers, researchers, universities and companies looking for specialist technology at lower prices. The founders initially sold equipment online, including through eBay, before rapidly expanding their stock and premises. Within months, the business had outgrown its original set-up and began moving towards a dedicated operation.The company gave high-value equipment a second lifeRather than manufacturing new instruments, TT Instruments built its business around reuse, refurbishment and resale. The company sources equipment from corporate disposal cycles and other organisations, then tests, restores and supplies it to customers around the world. Its inventory includes sophisticated technology such as Raman spectrometers, fibre-optic analysers, oscilloscopes and other electronic and scientific instruments. The approach has also given the business a circular-economy dimension because equipment that might otherwise be discarded can continue serving researchers and engineers. One example shared by founder Muhammad Geloo involved a Raman spectrometer restored in Blackburn that was subsequently used by a professor in South Korea for research into macular degeneration. The model allows customers to access specialist equipment while extending the useful life of expensive technology.Five years later, exports reached more than 70 countriesThe transformation from garage operation to international supplier happened remarkably quickly. By 2023, TT Instruments had moved into dedicated premises in Blackburn as its inventory expanded. The company says its exports reached more than 70 countries in a single year, with customers spread across six continents. International sales now account for roughly 75-80% of turnover, according to the company's King's Award information. Its customer base has included universities, small businesses and major technology companies, demonstrating how a specialist supplier from Lancashire managed to reach markets far beyond Britain. The company also achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification, strengthening its quality-management credentials. By its fifth year, TT Instruments had become a multi-million-pound enterprise with consistent year-on-year growth, a striking contrast to the tiny operation that began in a Blackburn garage in 2021.TT Instruments won the 2026 King's Award for International TradeThe company's rapid overseas expansion culminated in one of Britain's most prestigious business honours. In 2026, TT Instruments received the King's Award for Enterprise in International Trade, recognising its exceptional growth in international sales. The company says its export revenue more than doubled over the three-year assessment period, while overseas customers continued to represent the majority of its business. The Lancashire Telegraph reported that the enterprise had grown from its unusual garage beginnings into an international exporter. For Geloo and Bham, the award represents more than a business milestone; it validates a model built around giving specialist equipment a second life and making it accessible to customers around the world. What started with two founders and a modest garage operation has now become a global precision-equipment business.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.