A new image has helped an old-established Oxford building firm celebrate a record-breaking year.

A major rebranding exercise saw EW Beard simplify its name to Beard as part of a continuing shake-up of the company under the award-winning stewardship of the latest generation of the founding family.

Company results show turnover at the company, based at Cumnor Hill, was a record £33m for the year ending December 31, 2005 an increase of more than 36 per cent on the previous year's figure of £22m.

Pre-tax profits of £812,000 contrasted with a loss of £215,000 in 2004, which resulted from an exceptional payment of £253,000 into the company's pension scheme.

And the upward trend has continued in 2006 with turnover during the first quarter of of the year coming in at £10m, a 70 per cent increase on sales in the same period of 2005.

Managing director Mark Beard, who was Oxfordshire Business Person of the Year in 2004, said: "Our results show that embedding best practice processes, procedures and systems throughout the company had paid off for us as well as our customers.

"The continuing increase in the flow of work coming in since we rebranded six months ago leaves us in no doubt that our new and up to date corporate image, which reflects the company's commitment to efficiency, is helping us to build on that momentum."

The rebranding exercise involved a major consultation exercise with customers, staff, suppliers and consultants.

Beard, which also has a base in Swindon, has created 19 new jobs at Oxford since the start of 2005 three of them this year. The Oxford office currently employs 76 of the company's 162 workers.

Work has started on the school contract including a £1m development at Marlborough School, Woodstock, which will include a theatre, cinema and conference venue. The company invited pupils to get involved in a bid to interest them in construction careers. They will take part in meetings to discuss the project's progress and will be involved in decisions about decor.

Headteacher Julie Fenn said: "This is an exciting project for us because it is the first truly multi-purpose building project that the school has been involved in."

A £900,000 two-storey six-classroom extension at Carterton Community College, is also under way and set to be completed in October.

Beard which was founded in 1892, also completed the refurbishment of the cell blocks at Banbury police station in December.

It is undertaking similar work at Slough and Maidenhead as part of a Thames Valley Police partnership agreement which could last five years.

Other recent contract wins include the £1.7m upgrading of the Oxford Belfry hotel at Milton Common.