CONTRACT work for organisations such as Kent County Council and Thames Gateway NHS, has helped Medway Blinds boost its turnover by more than £100,000 over the past year. Medway Blinds, which operates from modern showrooms on the Lordswood Industrial Estate, is among this year's contestants in the Medway Small Business Awards.

"A year ago, contract work accounted for just 20 per cent of our business," said Tony Holt, who runs the company with his wife Julie. "Now it's about 40 per cent. The work involves fitting and maintaining blinds in big buildings such as hospitals and office blocks. It means we can smooth out the fluctuations of the domestic market. We also provide all the curtains and blinds for the Territorial Army in the South East, which is a contract we've had for some time."

The business - which was started in the 1980s - incorporates two firms, Blinds Galore and Apollo Blinds. "Moving to Lordswood was a big boost for us," said Tony. "It meant we could get the showroom and the manufacturing process all under one roof. And customers can visit us easily because we have plenty of parking space."

The company employs eight people altogether, including two full time fitters, which means that usually curtains and blinds can be installed within six days of ordering. "Customer satisfaction is what drives us," said Tony. "We have very friendly staff who are prepared to spend time with customers, helping them to achieve the effects they wish to create."

Medway Small Business Awards is sponsored by Medway Today and the Kent Messenger, LloydsTSB bank, Medway Chamber of Commerce and Medway council. An application form appears weekly in Medway Today or can be obtained from Chatham reference library or Medway Chamber of Commerce. Entrants must be in the Medway area,have a turnover of less than £3 million, and have been in business for at least a year before the closing date of the competiton, July 31.