T Clarke's interim results show £100m turnover

T Clarke, the electrical contractor, has unveiled an interim turnover of £100m. The figure is 9% higher than in the first half of 2005.

Pre-tax profit (six months to 30 June) ran to £4.0m. The latest result represents a margin of 4.0%, slightly ahead of the figure of 3.9% in the same period last year.

Pat Stanborough, chief executive, said: “The market has been very challenging. Margins have remained under pressure but we are positive about the future. Our orderbook is growing and the prospects  for our core business in London are very good.”

The group ended the period with £2m of cash, a fall from the figure of £4.8m at the start of 2006 as a result of a build-up of debtors and a greater volume of work-in-progress.

There was “some disparity of performance between the various regional and Home Counties operations” said Stanborough, but progress has been made in bringing regional operations closer together so they can all “benefit from the experience of the parent company”.