Stefanie Hopkins has worked with some of the biggest names in business.

Now the founder of Faith PR is aiming for bigger things herself following a move to offices at Centre 27 Business Park in Birstall.

The modern office accommodation is a far cry from Faith PR’s starting point – a converted garage at the Brighouse home Stefanie shares with husband Carl and children Zachary and Mia.

The garage served as headquarters for her business after she established it just over seven years ago.

But she says: “It got far too small. We had started to grow the business and we also wanted to separate work from home life. We were running out of space.”

Faith PR has been based at Birstall since August last year. The company is now staffed by a six-strong team.

“These offices are easier for people to get to,” says Stefanie. “It’s also a lot more professional being able to invite clients to these premises.”

Along with the move, Stefanie has been joined by Carl - a successful businessman in his own right - as commercial director.

He brings 30 years of marketing experience to the task as former owner of the UK’s oldest independent marketing agency, JDA.

Carl has also appeared on Channel 4’s Secret Millionaire and was last year recognised as the 35th most influential marketer in the UK outside of London.

Stefanie says: “I used to work for Carl at his full service agency in Leeds in the account management department.

“I got seconded into the PR department and when Carl sold the business in 2007 I stayed on for about four months. Now he’s working for me, which is quite good!” Carl still has his own business interests, but devotes 50% of his time to Faith PR.

Now the agency has expanded to cover not only PR but social media and design as well as carryiong out marketing audits.

Clients include international beauty company Oriflame UK Ltd, ice cream maker Yummy Yorkshire, Mia Tui bags, The Personnel Partnership, Catherine Green Textiles, La Cachette Restaurant & Bar, Sous le Nez Restaurant, Fantastic Media and law firm Legatus Solicitors.

Landing the Oriflame account, in particular, was a big success for Stefanie. Several London agencies were among those who pitched for the highly sought-after contract which was awarded to Faith PR after a pitch process which culminated at the firm’s Stockholm headquarters.

Commenting on the current economic picture, Stefanie says: “Business is still tough, but things are getting better. There seem to be more businesses looking to do more PR, but things seem more competitive now. Price is still a factor when companies decide who to work with.”

Stefanie was born in Dusseldorf to German parents who moved to this country when she was four. Stefanie grew up in London, but moved to Leeds after graduating from Nottingham University in modern languages. Stefanie can speak German, French and Spanish.

“I started working for Fine, a full service agency in Guiseley,” she says. “I was working on the Bentley account. I had wanted to use my languages, but I didn’t want to go into teaching or exports. I stayed there for 18 months before joining JDA.”

In her marketing role, Stefanie worked with major names such as Dulux and Asda. She also carried out work for the IP Trust, an industry body raising awareness of intellectual property issues and DVD piracy.

Stefanie says: “I have always liked the diversity of work and the fact that no two days are the same. I like writing copy and I like being creastive. It can be a fast-paced environment and you have to keep your skills up to date.”

She says: “I work with a lot of owner-mnaged businesses, which is great because you can see the positive impact that PR has for them. The results aren’t always easy to quantify, but you can always see the what happens when a company doesn’t do PR.

“We put a strategy together for the client incorporating different elements - such as media relations, copywriting, social media and newsletter production.

“In some cases, we are an extension of their own marketing department and we become part of their team.”

Stefanie says social media is a major issue for firms. “It is important to participate because people will talk about you and your business whether you are involved in the conversation or njot,” she says.

“Social media has grown so much. It’s an extension of a firm’s customer relations and it is definitely an area I have had to build into our business offering.”

Stefanie also has a plan for Faith PR. “We want to grow the business,” she says. “Our client base has been built through referrals, but we will be more pro-active.

“I would like to do more work in the manufacturing sector and work with more regional buinesses, as well as internationally.”

With children aged two and four, Stefanie and Carl have plenty to keep her busy on the homefront. “They take up most of our spare time,” she says.

But I enjoy pilates and swimming when I get the time and I keep my language skills up to date..”