WHEN choosing a name for his public relations consultancy, Twelve Thirty Eight boss Hamish Thompson was inspired by the speed of sound – 1238kmh. It s been a good omen for the fast-growing St Albans firm, which at two years old has just been shortlisted

WHEN choosing a name for his public relations consultancy, Twelve Thirty Eight boss Hamish Thompson was inspired by the speed of sound - 1238kmh. It's been a good omen for the fast-growing St Albans firm, which at two years old has just been shortlisted for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Outstanding Small Consultancy 2008 award for the second year in succession.

Twelve Thirty Eight won last year's award, beating competition from agencies throughout Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

The CIPR awards showcase the very best work and talent in the PR and communications industry outside of London.

The awards will be announced at a gala dinner in November.

Since it was founded, Twelve Thirty Eight has worked for a mix of local and national clients including John Lewis, Sainsbury's, PC World, Vision Express and Screwfix as well as a number of smaller businesses from the region, and delivering a return on investment of up to 200:1.

The team are no strangers to award ceremonies. Prior to founding Twelve Thirty Eight, Hamish was director of media relations at Hemel Hempstead retailer DSG international (formerly Dixons) where he scooped industry awards for Best PR Campaign (for announcing the death of the video recorder), Best New Media Campaign, Inhouse PR Team of the Year and a special Crisis Recovery award following the Buncefield explosion.

Recent assignments for Twelve Thirty Eight have included last week's announcement of the updated version of wartime classic "Make Do and Mend" for client John Lewis. The story was covered on BBC Breakfast, The Today programme and in most national newspapers. The team have also supported good causes and this year handled St Albans Cathedral's campaign to reclaim and rename the Hot Cross Bun, a story that made national and international news.

At Twelve Thirty Eight, Hamish is joined by former national broadcast and print journalists Nicola Carslaw and Tracey Harrison.

Managing director Hamish Thompson said: "I'm delighted the judges recognised the hard work of our very talented team. This is an important industry award, and is particularly gratifying because it's for firms based outside London. We're living evidence that a 'creative' firm doesn't need a central London address to succeed. St Albans has good transport connections and much lower running costs than London, so we can compete on price with no compromise on service. We plan to grow the business over time and create jobs for talented locals."

CIPR Acting Director General Ann Mealor said: "This year more than ever, consultancies and organisations entering the PRIDE Awards want to spotlight their achievements while boosting morale - and being a PRIDE finalist does just that. Having gone through rigorous judging to reach the shortlist is a great achievement and I offer my congratulations to all those who have reached this stage of the competition."

For more information, visit www.1238kmh.com