Starting up with two men in a van six years ago, facilities management and maintenance firm Jones FM LLP has become an amazing success.

It now employs more than 40 personnel and boasts a multimillion-pound annual turnover.

Based at Galleon Boulevard, Crossways Business Park, Dartford, and working across London and the South East, the company has a client base comprising a number of blue- chip companies.

These include the Blackstone Group, Nido Student Living, Pure Student Living, The Adelphi Building, One America Square, Chiswick Park Enjoy Work, Tullow Oil, Prime Metal Technologies, Realstar Group and Greystar.

Most of the firm’s business has come through word of mouth and exhibiting at the Facilities Show at the London Excel proved important in building the brand name.

Partner Bradley Jones said: “We have been very lucky in the fact that we work for some amazing blue-chip companies so have been involved in various Community Reward Services (CRS) schemes and through ongoing efforts to help our clients reduce their carbon emissions and footprint using LED lighting projects to automatic meter readings installed across our sites.”

Staff training features strongly at Jones FM LLP and the firm seeks to push staff forward through training.

One example is the site supervisor at Chiswick Park Enjoy Work, Bradley Monagahan, who since being employed by the company has completed his HNC degree in electrical engineering and more recently his commercial burner engineer’s course, which will allow him to progress into a mobile role servicing all the burners across the portfolio. All costs were paid for by Jones FM to help Bradley build his career.

Mr Jones said: “We recently won an award for Best Customer Focus through the National Business Awards and our aim is to progress this and be recognised for our efforts with sustainability and staff progression.”

The company was one of many who entered the Dartford and Gravesham Business Awards, which are now in their 10th year - and won.

The awards are supported by the Messenger, and each entrant gets a free profile in our papers and on our website.

This year’s award sponsors were Dartford council, Gravesham council, Barnes Roffe, Kent Business School (University of Kent), the KM Group (Dartford Messenger and Gravesend Messenger), Lloyds Bank, Thomson Snell and Passmore, Edinburgh House, University of Greenwich and Mid Kent College.

Visit www.dgbawards.co.uk to enter next year's awards.