A TAVISTOCK-based firm of painters and decorators that has raised its performance by meeting the training needs of its staff has been recognised as an Investor in People. Tavistock Decorators Ltd, which employs a team of 22 in the town and at an office in Plymouth, has been supported through the Investors in People process by Business Link for Devon and Cornwall. Founded by in its present form by managing director Lyndon Harvey in May 1998, the company has established a considerable client base across the south and west of England. Teams from the company specialise in the painting and decorating of ?new-build? commercial property, luxury apartments, hospitals and schools for major building contractors such as Keir and Cowlin. In committing to the Investors in People standard in February 2004, the company sought to equip itself for future growth by refining its systems of training and team-building. By focusing on customer care, the company has steadily increased its turnover, while maintaining high levels of repeat business and building a reputation for delivering high quality work that extends beyond the West Country. An appraisal scheme, which enables teams to identify their training needs more effectively, has helped the firm to achieve a significant reduction in the turnover of staff. At the same time, staff have been trained in the use of the computerised job control system which has led to faster billing which improves the flow of payments into the business. Lyndon Harvey said: ?We are delighted to be successfully assessed against the Investors in People standard. It demonstrates to prospective customers that our teams are well trained and qualified to their highest potential. Investors in People and the culture of training and continuous improvement is ongoing throughout the firm.? The company encourages its painters and decorators to gain accreditation under the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) and has a well established system of NVQs.