Boss in line for award.

THE man behind a mechanical and electrical contractor based in South Tyneside is in the running for a prestigious national award after landing a host of NHS contracts and growing his turnover from pounds 2.5m to around pounds 4m.

Gavin Richardson, managing director of OPUS Building Services at Boldon Business Park, has reached the semi-finals of the 2009 HSBC Start-Up Stars Awards after managing to grow the business in a market that has been blighted by a downturn in the construction market.

The firm has benefited from an experienced management team that set up the business three years ago and have already secured a number of lucrative contracts. His recent work includes an order for a pounds 400,000 electrical refurbishment at Wynyard Park near Billingham. He also has a number of large scale tenders in progress, including pounds 1.5m worth of hospital expansion work and a three-year pounds 5m education scheme.

It employs more than 70 staff from Boldon and currently has 40 workers on-site at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle, which is undergoing a major electrical re-fitting programme.

Mr Richardson, who started his career as an electrical apprentice in 1998, is now looking to hit a turnover of pounds 4m by next year, before growing this to pounds 5m the year after.

He said: "A number of our rivals have ceased trading which has meant that we have attracted their clients. However, it is our strong board that has really been the driving force behind our success.

"I'm over the moon to be involved in the awards and hope to go further in the competition."

OPUS is one of 60 companies to secure a place in the semi finals and now be considered by a panel of business experts who will select the top 25 start-up companies to go forward to the national judging, with the overall winner announced at a black-tie gala dinner at London's InterContinental Hotel on November 23.