A Wiltshire-based IT consultancy that has experienced 100 per cent growth three years in a row has been recognised for its impressive expansion and employee management by Beacon South West, a South West of England Regional Development Agency initiativethat acknowledges and brings together the region’smost forward-thinking and ambitious companies.

Erebor, an independent systems integrator based in Calne, spent its first ten years in business with no sales force relying solely on referrals. Its ethical approach to business and willingness to be a sounding board for businesses as they explore IT solutions has won the company a loyal following and steady supply line of leads.

But in April 2006, Erebor decided to take its destiny into its own hands and actively seek routes to market. It hired five sales staff and within a year added £1m to its turnover. The company expects to continue its 100 per cent growth record each year for the next three years and the leadership team attributes its success to the culture it has developed.

John Newcombe, head of sales and marketing at Erebor, said: “What makes us stand out from our competitors and succeed is our unique approach to our customers’ business. We win and retain customers through being their trusted advisor.

“Also, our staff love working for us. We are not a clock watching company and prefer to focus on productivity not hours put in. We encourage flexible working from home and our culture could aptly be described as ‘Californian’. As a result, we don’t find it hard to attract and keep our staff.”

Erebor becomes the 22nd Beacon company in the county and joins other esteemed companies in the Wiltshire network, such as Romarsh, Nectar Imports, Playforce and Eastbrook Farm Organic Meats. In total, there are 197 Beacon companies in the South West, spanning breweries, manufacturers, leisure operators, architects and luxury food companies. The aim of the Beacon initiative is to identify and bring together companies with a proven track record of success to accelerate the spread of good business practice across the region.

In addition to its impressive growth and attractive company culture, Erebor caught the attention of Beacon because of its strong partnerships with IBM and Cisco. It also works very successfully with the public sector and is hoping to win contracts around the Olympics, having already secured a place on London 2012’s preferred list of suppliers.

Sue Baker, director of Beacon South West, said: “Erebor has experienced staggering growth over the last three years thanks to its gear change from operating reactively to proactively. We hope that, as well as learning from other innovative companies in the Beacon network, Erebor will be able to share with others the way it has used sales and marketing to target a wider customer base and also how it has developed such an attractive work culture for employees.”

John Newcombe of Erebor concludes: “Our Beacon status is public recognition of the effort our team has put in over the last year to build a brilliant business. We are hoping that our involvement in the Beacon boardrooms where local Beacon companies regularly meet to discuss business issues and share their experiences will prevent us from reinventing the wheel and give us a valuable competitive advantage within our industry.”

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