Weeks has a good year with profit up

Weeks Group, the consulting engineer and construction materials tester, recorded a 19% rise in pre-tax profit in the 12 months to 31 March - despite a year of considerable change for the company.

Highlights included the appointment of a new chairman, John Low, who succeeded Alan Weeks in January, and a new finance director, Simon Gunn.

Other boons were the acquisitions of asbestos consultancy and surveying businesses, and extended geographic coverage.

The latest annual results show a pre-tax profit of £1.3m (£1.1m) from a turnover of £19.5m (£17.3m).

The core disciplines of the consulting business experienced "significant growth" and contributed two-thirds of the increase in consulting turnover.

Consulting has again seen a good growth in sales of 14% over the year despite the rationalisation and re-organisation, particularly in the property group.

The company now operates in three distinct areas of consulting - earth sciences, developments, and property and engineering.

Chief executive Phillip Hill said the firm continues to seek new acquisitions to strengthen its core disciplines and geographical coverage, and to enable it to diversify into related sectors and markets.