Editorial design company Words & Pictures is recruiting new staff after clinching a major national internal communications contract with a new mobile phone giant.

The Otley-based firm, which employs about 40 people, was successful against bids from major national and international rivals.

The deal with Everything Everywhere – the merged company from Orange and T-Mobile – includes a bi-monthly internal magazine entitled everyone and a sophisticated online system. It is believed to be one of the biggest internal communications contracts of the year.

Stuart Jackson, brand communications director of Everything Everywhere said the company had appointed Words&Pictures ahead of several large London and international publishing companies, based on its mix of “energy, creativity and people”.

Words&Pictures has also added to its client list after winning other contracts with companies including A4E, Aviva, Marks & Spencer, Cape, SSP and CEVA Logistics.

The agency also works for Boots, Procter & Gamble, Asda, Honda and Bradford-based Hallmark Cards.

Tony Layton, W&P chairman and managing director, said: “These new wins have meant that we’re now looking for experienced project managers, designers and writers to join our team.

“We’re now leaders, nationally, in terms of internal communications, and I’m afraid the London-based agencies just can’t seem to keep up. Yorkshire is leading the way and we’re attracting some of the best people in the business.”

At the end of 2010 Words & Pictures won a silver award from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations for its internal magazine produced for Morrisons’ distribution staff.

As well as becoming a leading provider of internal magazines, Words&Pictures has launched a joint venture with Bradford-based software development and IT consultancy, Black Marble to provide a new digital platform for corporate communicators called Avviso. The system uses Sharepoint 2010, Microsoft’s fastest-growing work share application.

Mr Layton said: “We’ve managed to thrive by doing what we do really well, plus focusing all our innovations on client benefit. That’s how we’ve been bucking the trend.”

Black Marble, based at Chain Bar, was founded in 1997 to provide software development to companies in the North of England.

It has provided systems in sectors including telephony, interactive exhibitions, insurance and legal.