AWARD-winning Manchester company Organisation Development Services is celebrating a record start to 2008, with more than £500,000 of new business secured and three new appointments.

The consultancy company, which won the Manchester Evening News Young Business of the Year for 2007 - has won 22 contracts worth £505,361 since receiving the award in November last year.

The contract wins put ODS on course to exceed its predicted turnover of £750,000 for 2008.

The business, which specialises in organisation development and change management, has recruited three new people to its Ducie House-based team.

They are: Sarah Cheesmond who joined last month from the NHS as a senior consultant; Stuart Taylor will join as a orconsultant, next month, also from the NHS; while Karen Hughes, has joined as office administrator, from Manchester Business School.

Co-founder Carol Brooks said: "We are thrilled to celebrate such a fantastic start to the year.

"One of our most significant achievements is that we are now beginning to win competitive tenders against far bigger and more established consultancies - a sign that our reputation is growing."