Opening a UK office in August 2009 paid dividends for US-based Atomic PR, according to director Helen Ellis. ‘Our American arm found that it was missing out on global PR pitches because it didn’t have a UK base, so we are capitalising on that now. We won some great clients in 2010 – a combination of our own wins and referrals from the US,’ she says.

These included rail booking website Quno, software firm TOA Technologies and Expedia’s discount hotel booking website Hotwire.

Atomic’s 2010 performance did not go unnoticed. In March 2011, Huntsworth announced it had bought the US-based firm and its UK offshoot for $13.3m to expand its North American footprint.

Seven Hills’ founders have aggressive growth plans, so it seems fitting that it is establishing itself as a specialist agency for entrepreneurs and the enterprise sector.

Michael Hayman, former chief executive of The Communication Group, and Nick Giles, ex-MD of Text 100, launched their agency, named after the hills of Sheffield where Hayman was born, in January.

‘It’s been a phenomenally good year,’ Hayman says, pointing to account wins with Virgin Media, EDF, Enterprise UK and initiatives backing entrepreneurs.

‘We want to scale this business quickly and we must push on and become a significant player in PRWeek’s Top 150,’ he says.

Early signs for 2011 are good, with the coalition Government desperate to establish the UK as a centre for enterprise.

W Communications opened in September 2009, so to have built up a fee income of £618K and a team of eight by the end of 2010 makes the London-based boutique a definite future contender.

Set up by ex-Freuds man Warren Johnson, the agency really put itself on the map with its work for The Independent during the general election, which was shortlisted for a PRWeek Award. This was followed by the successful launch of daily newspaper i.

‘A huge amount of our success came from organic growth,’ says Johnson. This results from taking a collaborative approach with other agencies, such as those in the digital and above-the-line space, and building relationships.