A happy workforce is so often a sign of a thriving business - and so it is that John Rowan & Partners manages to increase profits while also maintaining a reputation as a good employer

Construction Consultant/Surveyor of the year (fewer than 100 staff)

Sponsored by Hays Construction

John Rowan & Partners
If you can increase turnover by a quarter, profits by 10%, and keep your workforce one of the happiest in the industry, you must be doing something right. This year, John Rowan & Partners has demonstrated an unprecedented level of commitment not only to its existing staff, but also to promising graduate interns that it has taken on as part of the Pledge campaign. It won the top consultancy gong in the 好色先生TV Good Employer Awards, and has boosted staff levels by an impressive 17% in the past year. Clients were glowing in their praise of the company.

鈥淕iven the day-to-day challenges faced on managing complex supply chains, we use John Rowan & Partners Purchase Order Manager. We are very pleased with how it performs鈥� was the verdict of St Andrews hotel, which the firm helped refurbish. The judges praised a 鈥渟trong emphasis on people in a tough environment鈥�, which, combined with superb financials, made for an outstanding winner of this award.

Runners-up

Pellings
Pellings just seems to have a knack for holding on to clients. Repeat business levels were an impressively high 85%, thanks to a reputation for quality, value and innovation. It has also made strides in delivering green retrofitting.

Provelio
This quality consultant opened up a Cardiff office as it went from strength to strength financially, and won a host of new clients: Cornwall council, Kirklees College, the University of Leicester, Sir Robert McAlpine and Morgan Sindall.

Rex Procter & Partners
It鈥檚 been a year of rapid progress at Rex Procter & Partners. It went from a traditional partnership to a plc, rebranded, hired new staff, and offered three new services. One of the keys to success has been helping supermarkets expand.

Southfacing Services
Southfacing Services is carving out a name for itself, particularly for investing in technology. The fruits of its labour included the Tracker Plus system, the first entirely online BREEAM project management and assessment tool.

Thomson Gray
Thomson Gray is now one of the top five QS firms in Scotland. Fee income is up an eighth, and staff numbers are up 15%. Sustainability has been made a priority, and over the past 12 months the firm has become an accredited BREEAM assessor.