SAVILLE, the £33 million turnover York firm, has won an exclusive deal to supply US bases in Europe, North Africa and Iceland with a range of high-tech audio visual equipment.

Over the five years of the contract it could be worth millions.

The arrangement was announced today from Saville's head office in Millfield Lane, Nether Poppleton, but kept under wraps for months, awaiting clearance from executives of the US General Services Administration.

In that time, Saville has already installed a comprehensive audio-visual system at Fairford US base in Gloucester and Don Andrew, the group's PR manager, reports that "a series of others are in the pipeline".

There are no immediate plans to increase the workforce at York, "although in 12 months time if the contract results in hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of work we may need more administrative, sales and technical staff," Mr Andrew said. Winning the trust of the US authorities entailed several visits to America, particularly to the GSA's IT Acquisition Centre at Arlington, Virginia, by Saville's managing director, John Sills, and Maggie Read, his divisional contracts manager.

The fact that Saville has been a supplier to the British Ministry of Defence since 1996 helped, along with gleaning 15 national awards in the past five years, including Audio Visual Dealer of the Year four times.

Eventually, Gary Haag, of the Acquisition Centre, travelled to Nether Poppleton to meet staff and welcome the company as a new strategic supply partner,

He said: "GSA strives to maintain a high level of service to support military and civil functions abroad with the tools they need.

"We value the partnerships we have established with dedicated and knowledgeable associates around the world - as we have done here today."

Saville began life in 1876 as a pharmacy in Goodramgate, York, run by John Saville, but changed tack when his succeeding sons saw potential in that wonderful new-fangled pastime called photography and they later evolved into specialists in all things optical.

It progressed to audio-visual equipment, marketing the very first video recorder.

Today the group employs 350 people at 15 regional centres in every capital city of the UK.

Basic audio-visual systems could cost between £10,000 and £30,000, but some projects like systems for three conference rooms just completed at County Hall, Beverley, can cost about £200,000.

Updated: 11:45 Thursday, December 04, 2003