A CATERING equipment supplier set up only 15 months ago is bidding for a contract at one of the UK's leading sporting arenas.

Howell-Cummings, of Enterprise City, Spennymoor, County Durham, has been invited to tender for the new kitchens at The Oval cricket ground, in Surrey. The contract is expected to be worth about £500,000.

Established in September 2003, the firm already has a reputation for quality sports stadium work, thanks to partner Tom Cummings.

Mr Cummings designed the £1.2m kitchens at the Stadium of Light, in Sunderland, and those at Southampton's home ground, St Mary's, while employed at catering equipment manufacturer Viscount.

He left to set up an independent company with David Howell, who at the time was working for another catering equipment distributor.

"We both had ideas on how this could be done better," said Mr Howell.

They started out with one employee, company secretary Flo Jackson. The firm now employs seven people and is taking on more this year.

Along with the bid for The Oval, it is in for a similar contract at the new Coventry Arena.

The firm has already supplied the Tyne Tunnel staff restaurant and the Royal Aeronautical Society in London, plus several North-East schools.

Turnover in the first full year will top £500,000 and is expected to double for 2005/06.

"We set out to operate at the top end of the market, away from the kebab shops and takeaway restaurants, and we have achieved that," said Mr Howell.

The company's biggest innovation has been the introduction of 3D computer designs, similar to those used by domestic kitchen suppliers such as MFI or B&Q.

"With the best will in the world, most customers cannot make head or tail of a 2D drawing," said Mr Howell.

"If one distributor presents a 2D drawing and we offer our 3D design, most clients will go with us."

The firm adapted an engineering software package and employees had extensive training to learn how to use it.

Mr Cummings said: "We have had to build this from scratch, but we are the only company at the moment that can truly offer 3D designs.

"I can see a point in the future where we end up selling this package back to the rest of the industry."

Together, the pair have more than 50 years in the industry, but have invested in the future through training their workforce.

"We are not getting any younger," said Mr Howell. "The two lads we took on to operate the new software are 18 and 20 and we see them as the future of this company."