IT may be a relative newcomer to the financial scene in the West Country, but Target has certainly left its mark on the region in a very short time.

And thanks to a young set-up that has worked tirelessly since the team's inception just over three year's ago, Target Corporate Finance has been named as Corporate Advisory Team of the Year.

What makes the achievement even more notable is not only the strength of the field but the current competitiveness of what was already a very tough marketplace before the current downturn.

Despite being a small unit, the Target team still managed to get involved in 17 deals over the last year, which were worth a combined total of just under £126 million.

Target is particularly proud of its record and believes it is punching well above its weight alongside some of the heavyweights of the corporate finance world.

The set-up, including the likes of Matt Eves, has allowed Target to compete and win business against some very tough and long established opposition from people who want to maintain and increase their wealth.

The firm now has offices in the South West, Thames Valley and Midlands and it believes that an integrated approach means better client service, encompassing audit and accounts, tax reduction, personal financial planning and corporate transactions.

This year's award is also testament to the high-profile nature of some of the deals, none more so than the Butler and Tanner negotiations, which were carried out in the full glare of both the national and local spotlight.

The printers, which happens to be one of Frome's oldest employers, went into administration very publicly and Target worked against the clock to secure the future of the company.

The publisher was re-launched following its acquisition by one of Britain's most successful publishers, Felix Dennis. The deal was seen as a victory for the management team and Target, which spent three months putting together a rescue package for the business.

And there was also the sale of the Sea Group in Frome for £25 million, in what turned out to be a very complex mixture of cash, equity and fundraising.