Growing marketing firm has eyes on London in bid to win new business

The four-year-old company, set up by Catherine Shuttleworth, has grown from three members of staff to more than 60 and now has a turnover of 6m, with gross profits last year of 3m.

It specialises in retail and has a growing sports division. Key clients include food giants Asda and Unilever, luxury handbag firm Radley, sports brand Adidas, sports retailers JJB and Intersport and Home Delivery Network. Savvy worked on the rebranding of Home Delivery Network and its combined businesses as Yodel, which was unveiled last week.

Speaking about the move to the capital, Mrs Shuttleworth, the 43-year-old chief executive, said: "The business is going to be headquartered here in Leeds. Clearly we see Leeds and Yorkshire as the centre of the world. London will be a satellite office with potential for growth in the London market.

"We have so much work in London. What's clear is you do need some people on the ground to make the most of the opportunities, particularly if you are in retail."

Savvy will launch in London with a staff of about six. Mrs Shuttleworth spends around two or three days a week in the capital on business.

The company has announced eight new appointments, including a new strategy director, James Lunn. Mrs Shuttleworth said she is looking at expanding into the digital sector and may consider acquisitions.

Mr Lunn has been appointed to help realise the company's growth plans for the coming year. Savvy wants to win 1m worth of new business. Last year, the company's profitability grew by 25 per cent, said the CEO.

The company was founded in 2006 with Mrs Shuttleworth, Linda Skelton, a former colleague from Yorkshire Bank, to help with accounts – both worked under Paul Fullerton, now the Bank of England's regional agent – and Andrew Jones as company secretary, who has since won election as the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The company has grown quickly. "We are getting new inquiries all the time," said Mrs Shuttleworth. "We are having to recruit on the back of it. I want to see the most growth in the sports division next year."

As soon as the World Cup in South Africa is finished, the company will focus on opportunities surrounding the London 2012 Olympics.

Asked about plans for the future, Mrs Shuttleworth said: "Savvy has grown without debt. The challenge is to make sure we maintain healthy margins. We have to be really mindful of cost. We need to show value to clients."

The company owns its office building in The Calls and plans to rent offices next door to cope with the increasing number of staff.

Mrs Shuttleworth has been taking informal advice on external funding to grow the business further. She owns 100 per cent of the central company and would consider taking on bank debt or private equity, she said.

"I need to make sure the business looks as attractive as possible – not too difficult because it's a good growth story. If I can get it to a 10m turnover, it would look a bit more attractive to the outside world."

Mrs Shuttleworth said she would also consider a listing on the Aim market. Her first priority though is to find a new banking partner. She is moving from NatWest to Yorkshire Bank, her former employer in the early 1990s.

"At some point I would like to realise the asset of the business. I still really enjoy it and can still manage it with the rest of my life."

CATHERINE SHUTTLEWORTH

Sheffield-raised Catherine Shuttleworth is a hard-working mother of three young children, aged seven and under. Her husband is a senior executive at a large retailer.

Is it possible to have it all?

"Absolutely not," she said.

"You need really good childcare. You treat the people who look after your children the way you treat the most important people in your team."

Clients are all important in marketing. Good client service involves "hard work and keeping to your commitments," she said.

Good marketing is "usually about good ideas. It's all about finding solutions and making sure when you do it, people come back again and again".