Gala Tent aims to add more jobs as it looks for boost from Diamond Jubilee

Jason Mace said the company recorded a turnover of £5.6m in 2011, up 30 per cent on the previous year, with pre-tax profits of £700,000, and he forecasts sales to hit £7.5m this year. The business re-located in June last year from Barnsley to its site in Rotherham, which is double the size of its previous premises at 53,000 sq ft.

The company currently has 30 staff, and plans to recruit in areas including customer service, sales, quality control, procurement and the warehouse, said Mr Mace, who founded the firm in 1999.

He launched the business with a product he designed, called the Millennium Marquee, timed to coincide with the Millennium celebrations.

Lisa Mace, sales director at Gala Tent, said: “I’m looking for an enthusiastic individual to work as our new business development representative to work alongside our experienced sales and marketing team. They will be working towards our exhaustive expansion plans generating new untapped business and moving forward towards the busy and exciting summer ahead.” Increased turnover in 2011 prompted Gala to employ new staff over all of its departments. Mr Mace said the Royal Wedding last year provided a boost to sales thanks to people hosting street parties, and he expects the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee to result in a spike as well.

The development of systems has been at the heart of Gala Tent’s success, said Mr Mace.

He continued: “From 2007 to 2010, when we hit the recession, we decided to get the company flatlined.

“We put all the investment into developing systems.”

The business, which imports components for its marquees but manufactures them at its Rotherham factory, also supplies lighting, heating and flooring.

In addition to direct sales to the general public, Gala Tent also supplies hire companies, councils and branches of the emergency services as well as the milit- ary.