Consultant Gardiner & Theobald achieved a 34% growth in UK profit this year, driven by its decision to branch out from quantity surveying.

G&T made a profit of 拢13.7m in 2005/06 on a turnover of 拢69m, itself an increase of 15%. The highest paid equity partner in the firm earned 拢889,000 last year, which is an 18% increase from the 拢751,000 last year. G&T refused to disclose the identity of this year鈥檚 highest earner, but it is likely to be managing partner Simon Jones.

Quantity surveying remained the biggest part of the business, contributing to more than half of its turnover, but the biggest growth was in (CM) 鈥� unusual for a traditional QS firm.Turnover in CM rose by 86% to 拢2.1m.

Jones said: 鈥淧rojections for next year and beyond indicate that quantity surveying will account for less that 50% of our business, and the continuing diversification will hopefully offer a degree of protection against downturns in any of our the markets.鈥�

Gross profit totalled 拢20m, including a fixed profit paid monthly to equity members. That means that each equity partner is set to receive an average profit share of 拢168,300.

Internationally, the company has achieved growth in all its regions, despite the collapse of its global alliance with Australian company Rider Hunt and Hong Kong-based Levett & Bailey.

The biggest growth markets overseas for G&T last year were central and eastern Europe, where turnover rose by 64% to just over 拢4m, and China, where turnover rose 97% to 拢112,000.

In the UK, London remained the biggest part of the business, generating more than two-thirds of its turnover, but it was the regions that grew the most, up 37% to 拢15.3m.

Jones said 鈥渋t was not inconceivable鈥� that global turnover would break the 拢100m barrier in 2006/07.

It emerged this week that Bucknall Austin, G&T鈥檚 rival, has established an alliance with Rider Hunt and Levett & Bailey as part of its international expansion.

According to Bucknall Austin, the alliance makes it the third biggest UK-based QS. Simon Birchall, managing director, said the agreement was signed in August, but would not be implemented until the new year. The three companies will share a common name, which is yet to be decided.