Managing director Graham Clark said that the aim of the eight appointments was to enable the company to grow the business by more than 20% in 2010.

McKenzie Clark's core business to date has been in the retail and cosmetic sectors – the new staff will add expertise in the exhibition, construction and sports marketing sectors.

 "We have invested more than £1m in the latest equipment to maximise throughput," said Clark. "The next stage was to boost our sales and account management function."

He added that high level account and project management were essential to the firm's consultative approach.

All eight recruits joined from Jupiter Display, a division of St Ives' Service Graphics business.

Project manager Fiona Mills was the first appointment at the end of 2008, followed by sales director Dave Snaith and senior salesman Antony Rider at the beginning of 2009.

Production and project managers Cecil O'Brien and Paul Cooke and salesman Mark Haines followed. Two further staff, Alex Davenport (sales) and Chris Bush (installation), will complete the appointments when they join the company in September.

The appointments increase the Peckham, south London-based firm's total headcount to 70.