Turnover was down to £75.9m, from £78.7m in same period last year, while pre-tax profits leapt to £3.4m, up from £141,000 year-on-year. The group saw good growth in its insurance customer base including additional volumes with Hastings Direct, worth over £15m per annum, Norwich Union, worth over £20m per annum, and a strong start from Aquilo – the accident management business bought in December 2006 for £1.27m which Michael Wilmshurt, chief executive, discribed as “an important and strategic acquisition”. Michael Marx, chairman of Nationwide, the largest independent bodyshop chain in the UK, said: “Results for the first half of the year are in line with our expectations and leave us well positioned for a satisfactory outcome for the year. Looking further ahead, we remain positive about prospects. “We continue with our twin-track approach to growth and believe there are good opportunities both to acquire and to develop the business organically.” He added that the volume reduction in the second quarter was due to the company's strategic decision not to renew its contract with Royal Bank of Scotland. Marx said this had already been more than replaced by substantial new agreements such as the Hastings Direct deal – worth in excess of £15m a year. “We remain focused on securing new contracts that will enable us to leverage scale and operational efficiency to the benefit of our shareholders and customers and I am pleased to report that the company is now also repairing additional volumes for Norwich Union Insurance and expects to sign a three year contract, which once fully in place, will contribute an additional £20m of sales per year.” He stressed that the company was focusing on developing the business both organically and via acquisition. “There is good scope both to secure additional insurance company contracts and to leverage further efficiencies within our existing businesses. Additionally, we continue to consider suitable acquisitions and currently expect to complete the purchase of a further bodyshop in Matlock, Derbyshire, at the end of September,” he said.