Pictured above: (l-r) John McNamara, Paul Roberts and Tracy Benbow 

A Coventry firm, with construction, joinery and shop-fitting divisions, is set to see turnover rise by 40 per cent in 2011 - and will also help make the news too!

Coventry kid John McNamara set up Active Commercial Interiors Ltd in 2000 and has built the business up from a small starter unit in Humber Avenue to offices in Kingfield Road.

From a single person firm, there are now direct 28 employees and three divisions after the launch of Active Construction last year, with Paul Roberts joining to run the construction arm.

The company has been receiving general business support from Tracy Benbow at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and, after holding steady for two years, are forecasting turnover will jump to nearing £6 million for the group.

John said: "There is no doubt that the past two years have been tough for the industry as a whole but we have continued to grow, albeit, quite gradually.

"Conditions are still tough for many but we feel we are in a very good position to grow this year in all areas of the business."

Active Commercial Interiors has built up a strong list of clients over the years and regularly lands repeat business for shop fit-outs across the UK.

Its team includes skilled workers from electricians to joiners and clients include internationally-renowned clothing brand Barbour and Scrivens Opticians. 

The company has also just landed a deal with the Daily Mail to re-brand 200 newsagents across the country with new awnings and signage.

"We are winning new business," added John, "but the fact that we keep landing repeat orders is a huge testament to our work."

On the construction side, contracts have been picked up with local authorities for school extensions/refurbishments and within the NHS and private sector clients.

And Paul said the firm was looking to build on its contacts regionally to win new business.

He said: "This has proved to be a really good move for me and we are going from strength to strength as a company.

"Active Commercial Interiors has a fantastic reputation and client base nationally but we also want to grow our activities in this region too. 

"We will do that, partly, through the Chamber and through networking and I also want to tap into opportunities such as lobbying politicians. We feel it's important to have a strong local workforce that can benefit the local economy and that's very much part of our ethos.

"We've had fantastic support from Tracy with everything from who to go to for legal advice to improving our marketing. We will definitely be making the most of the Chamber's support."

Tracy said it was great to see a positive story in the construction industry in the city.

She said: "Active are making the most of their Chamber membership and that's a great way for any business looking to grow or move into new markets.

"It's a great story and one we should really celebrate."