HARTLEBURY-based communication agency, Drpgroup, has defied the recession this year, with September set to be its best month ever, seeing income up 40 per cent on the same period last year.

The company has run numerous, large corporate events for blue-chip clients during September, while its digital media and video teams are also carrying out a number of large video and web-based projects.

The final quarter of the year is also looking busy, with a £500,000 investment in new facilities planned, as well as the continued recruitment of new team members at its offices in Hartlebury and London.

With several more major events in the pipeline, the company is expecting a good end to 2009, despite the unpredictable economic climate.

Drpgroup managing director, Dale Parmenter, has attributed the company’s success to its early adoption of a “recession strategy” last year.

Mr Parmenter said: “We saw a window of opportunity and deliberately took the view of foregoing profit in exchange for investment in growing market share.

“We increased our sales and marketing spend three-fold and continued investment in all areas of the business, including maintaining our recruitment programme.”

He continued: “The high risk strategy has appeared to have worked, with 12 new clients on board and a healthy enquiry level for 2010.

“Even though we were happy to break even, we are heading to make a healthy net profit by the end of the year.

“We made the decision to tackle the recession head-on and increase our investment at a time when many companies may have been tempted to cut back.”

Drpgroup celebrates its 30th anniversary next summer and in the next few weeks the build-up campaign will begin.

Mr Parmenter expects to continue to grow the business, invest in new people, equipment and facilities, while preparing to celebrate the milestone.