MITIE Group has posted a strong set of interim figures for the period ending 30 September. Turnover was up over 28%, to £162.3M, with pre-tax profits up over 33%.

MITIE divides its business into two main areas - building services (M&E, property, access systems) and support services (cleaning, catering, security). Both achieved growth, as well as modest improvement in margins. The FM operation, MITIE Managed Services, created in 1998 to handle multi-activity contracts, has expanded to four regional offices. It is partnered with Trillium in the much-anticipated STEPS outsourcing contract for the Inland Revenue.

The group has also extended its reach into business support functions with the formation of MITIE Business Services Ltd. The new company, specialising in mail room, reprographics and document management functions, overlaps with some existing contract areas. "But," says director Jeff Smith, "though we have been offering some consultancy advice to other divisions, we are mainly concentrating on finding our own customers."

MITIE's overall strategy is to encourage individual directors to own a significant proportion of their businesses.

Elliott Chase