KIER Group has lifted underlying pre-tax profits by 17 per cent to £85.9m, amid a strong performance by its construction operation in Scotland.
The group grew turnover by 14 per cent to £3.4bn in the year ended June 30, driven by organic growth in its property, residential and services arms. Turnover in Scotland was booked at £230m in a period which saw Kier opening a new office in Inverness, in response to its increasing workload across the Highlands. The office currently employs 10 staff.
Gordon Reid, business development manager, said: "At the turn of the year we opened a new office in Inverness, and that was basically in response to the volume of work in Inverness and Fort William area.
"We're keen to expand our footprint in Inverness and the north-east, both in the private and public sector."
Mr Reid noted that Kier was working a £14m joint primary school and community campus at Caol, near Fort William, and upgrading 1000 residential properties in the Highlands.
Since year-end, Kier has completed phase two of the extension of Robert Gordon University’s Garthdee campus in Aberdeen. The £16m facility is home to the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and the Built environment. The current year has seen Kier deliver a £10m student accommodation project for Alumno Developments in Glasgow’s west end.
Mr Reid said the pipeline of work for Kier in Scotland is strong this year. He highlighted its re-appointment to the £1.5bn Scape National Minor Works Framework, which allows Kier to tender for local authority projects, and the continuation of its school building programme through the Scottish Government Hub procurement framework.
Mr Reid said: "The pipeline is absolutely fantastic - it's basically secure for next year. What I am now looking at is the opportunity which will be coming on stream in a year and a half, two years' time."
Kier grew its headcount to 186 from 160 over the year, and plans to boost that to 200 by Christmas. Shares in Kier closed down 68p at 1,408p.
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