Civils' cable laying soars

The civils element of the specialist market in laying cable tv is running to œ600 million a year. Of the 15 million homes within cable franchise areas, four million have network access, leaving contractors with the task of reaching the other 11 million, the industry having set itself the target of completing the task by the year 2001.

Alan Baskeyfield, engineering director, Utility Cable, says the cable tv laying market will be at its peak in 1995 and 1996.

He puts Utility's share of the civils work at 18%, making it a clear market leader ahead of M&M Plant, Cardiff, and McNicholas, both with 10%.

Latest interim results from Utility (six months to 28 February 1995) show pre-tax profit higher at œ2.2 million (œ1.2 million) on a turnover of œ38 million (œ21 million).

Material price rises have been a headache, with uPVC up 70%, roadstone 8-10% higher and coated materials up by a similar amount.

'It ate into our margins,' said Baskeyfield, 'but our contracts provide for reviews, these have been used to negotiate increases.'