WHILE MOST companies are trimming their costs, public relations firm MRPA Kinman is busy recruiting and says it has had a bumper first six months.

Such is the feelgood factor there that it has even changed the name over the door. Henceforth it shall be known as MKC Communications.

Led by Ray Gordon, who has just been handed a new three- year term as managing director, the Dublin-based PR firm has recruited Kieran Garry, deputy station editor of Newstalk, Denis O'Brien's national radio station.

MKC now employs 23 people and expects to earn fee income of approximately €3 million in the current year. Staff numbers and revenue have doubled since the merger three years ago of MRPA and Kinman.

According to Gordon, fee income in the first six months of the year was up 25 per cent, no doubt helped by regular sorties to Irish Life Permanent's head office to advise Denis Casey on how to navigate its way through the credit crunch.

ILP is one of the firm's biggest clients.

"Clearly we're facing a different environment now but media interest in our clients doesn't stop just because the economy slows, so we expect that we'll continue to be busy through the period ahead," Gordon told us.

For the PR industry at least, every recession has a silver lining.