T Clarke powers up £100m of 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 £4m. The latest result represents a margin of 4%, slightly ahead of the figure of 3.9% in the same period last year.

Chief executive Pat Stanborough 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".

[Contract Journal, 23 August 2006, p 2]