The company, which works in the declining corporate cheque market, has been expanding into new sectors, including providing secure printing services to Africa.

Last year, Tall Group won a contract to supply 15m ballot papers for the Nigerian general elections, in a deal worth about half a million pounds.

Aiden Charles, marketing co-coordinator for Tall Group, told printweek.com that developing countries were a potentially strong growth area for UK companies with secure printing expertise.

"With ballot paper auditing in particular, there is the security element of it and also high volumes are required and a short lead time, so developing countries aren't always geared up to accommodate it and they'll outsource it to trusted companies," Charles said.

"You don't get a general election every year, but the other thing we specialise in is secure cheque printing, and that's declining in the UK but starting to take off in countries in Africa."

Charles said the company was also focusing on the development of prepaid payment cards, and printed the payment slips that enabled customers to top up the funds on the card.

Tall Group, led by managing director Martin Ruda, employs around 150 staff at two sites in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and Runcorn, Cheshire, and is aiming for £20m turnover by 2010.