A YORK-BASED building contractor has won a major national business award as a top small or medium-sized enterprise (SME).

F Parkinson, established 71 years ago and based at the Airfield Business Park, Elvington - with other offices in Blackpool and Manchester - beat national competition to be named Contract Journal SME Contractor Of The Year at an awards ceremony in London.

Employing 125 staff, Parkinson operates across a number of market sectors including education, health, industrial, commercial, leisure and ecclesiastical. It also works for various government agencies.

Described by the judges as "a company doing a lot of good things," Parkinson has recently undergone a significant change in growth, nature and size of contracts.

Turnover has risen by 50 per cent to £26 million in the past five years, more than half of which was developed through a commitment to partnering and the development of framework agreements.

This approach has seen Parkinson gain a reputation for high-quality work and reliability throughout the North of England, particularly since the management buyout from the trust of founder Frank Parkinson three years ago.

The company is currently on site at the £2.9 million Keighley Police Station for West Yorkshire Police and has recently started work on the first of six partnered Children Centres for Wakefield Metropolitan Borough Council, totalling nearly £2.5 million.

It has had millions of pounds worth of involvement in schools in York and North and East Yorkshire.

The firm recently completed a £1 million laboratory complex at South Craven School for North Yorkshire County Council, and has recently completed a £500,000 classroom extension at Dunnington School, for City of York Council, and a £600,000 classroom and nursery project at Wilberfoss Primary, for East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

Peter Glenn, managing director of Parkinson, praised the efforts of his staff, describing the award as "a culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication from what is a relatively small team of professionals."

He said: "It sends a strong message to both the public and private sector both locally and across the north of the UK that Parkinson is a firm to consider for projects from £300,000 up to £10 million."

Updated: 09:42 Tuesday, October 18, 2005