A year since being runner-up in these awards, PLP Fire & Security has enjoyed a major expansion to its business.

For more than three years the company has supplied, installed and maintained fire safety and smoke ventilation equipment and in January began marketing Notifier fire and safety equipment manufactured by Honeywell.

This has enabled it to carry out a major two-year contract with the London Excel Centre.

This was in addition to contracts landed at London’s Chelsea Harbour managed by Harrods Estates, Canterbury College, a Mayfair nightclub and Hamleys.

Director Paul Bennett said experience had shown that out-dated working practices within the industry can stall progress and are non cost-effective.

He said: “PLP is a small family-run company that aspires to succeed in the fire safety industry. We are an equal opportunities employer who actively encourages our staff to assist in finding practical solutions.

“This we hope will create further employment and benefits for the community as a whole.

“Over the past eight months we have created positions for two additional engineers, an office administrator and an apprentice who is also studying electrical installation at West Kent College.”

PLP Fire & Security is one of the entrants in the Dartford and Gravesham Business Awards. This year’s award sponsors are 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 and the University of Greenwich.

Entries have now closed. The winner will be announced later this year.