 THE BUSINESS Support services Cleaning for the Home Office, engineering at the Royal Opera House, and painting and plumbing for Crawley borough council in West Sussex are just a few of the outsourcing services provided by Mitie. The Bristolbased company has 61,000 employees and sales of ?1.8 billion. Founded in 1987 as an engineering services group, it floated on the stock market the following year.  THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE Ruby McGregor-Smith Mitie has changed under the unorthodox leadership of Ruby McGregor-Smith, a chartered accountant who came to Britain from India as a child. Security, cleaning and maintenance are its core markets but the firm has diversified. a ?130m acquisition in 2009 saw Mitie become big in energy services, helping companies to cut their carbon emissions.  THE RESULTS Profits on the up The firm reports interim results this week. analysts forecast an 18% rise in full-year sales and a 14% jump in pre-tax profit to ?97m. Public spending cuts have helped Mitie win big contracts, including a ?455m deal for the cleaning, security and maintenance of courts in southern England. Some customers, such as drinks giant Diageo, have asked Mitie to provide more services.  THE FUTURE Overseas growth The company is seeking expansion opportunities overseas. Currently a tiny proportion of sales comes from foreign markets. as the government spending cuts continue, there will also be substantial work available in courts and prisons. The company's shares are up 20% over 12 months to 244p, giving it a market value of ?859m.