Chris Webster, the managing director of DCB (Kent), is awaiting confirmation of two affordable housing contracts this month, worth £6.5 million.

The company he co-owns with wife Caroline has seen revenues reach £18.5 million, up from £12.2 million a year earlier, after an uptick in construction of housing for low-income families and first time buyers.

The firm, based in Hartlip, near Sittingbourne, has been involved in affordable housing contracts for about five years, completing projects for Golding Homes in Maidstone, Ashford Borough Council and AmicusHorizon in Sittingbourne.

It is predicting revenues of £20 million when it files its next accounts and is hoping to grow revenues by £1m to £2 million each year for the next five years.

“Affordable housing is where the growth has come from,” said Mr Webster, who lives in Rainham. “Turnover had hovered around £6 million for a few years but these kind of contracts are worth £1m to £3 million at a time, so you only need a few before turnover has trebled.”

“One of our concerns is that we need to open new doors to keep the momentum going or increase it..." - Chris Webster, DCB (Kent)

The firm has committed to hire six apprentices a year over the next 10 years through long-term contracts with AmicusHorizon, Canterbury City Council and Thanet District Council.

However, there are concerns for the firm. After boosting turnover so quickly, the next challenge is to maintain revenues.

It needed publicity and the company put itself in the spotlight after being named the overall winner of the Medway Business Awards last year.

“That was quite a surprise,” said Mr Webster. “We had always kept our head down and got on with what we were doing and never thought about waving the flag.”

The big change in its profile has come after hiring a business development manager, Misia Carroll.

“One day Misia came up to me and said ‘we should enter the awards’ and I think I literally just looked up from the desk and said ‘ok’ and carried on.

“Then we had a site visit and then an invite to the awards night and we were stunned to find out we were the overall winners.

“Until now, growth had been purely through repeat orders but we had done nothing to actively market the business.

“One of our concerns is that we need to open new doors to keep the momentum going or increase it. We have hired Misia to do that.”

“The market conditions for employment in our sector have changed and tradesmen are in short supply..." - Chris Webster, DCB (Kent)

It has not been all plain sailing for the company. Operating profits dropped from £409,000 to £198,000 last year after it was forced to take on a number of staff who had been working on a housing association contract it took over.

Gross profit margin was squeezed from 13.6% to 10.3% as it fought to get the behind-schedule development moving again. No such disruption is anticipated this year.

The firm also expanded its head office and set up a regional office in Thanet to handle affordable housing projects it has won through Canterbury and Thanet councils.

Operating profit is expected to spring back towards £500,000 this year.

Another challenge has been the increase in the amount it pays to tradesmen.

“Labour costs have risen significantly,” said Mr Webster. “The majority of our trades people have had increases in the last 12 months and been on a steep curve for the last five or six years.

“The market conditions for employment in our sector have changed and tradesmen are in short supply. If you want to keep expanding you need to pay for the right people.”