Conlon Construction: pre-tax profit of £920,000 on turnover of £25m

Conlon Construction made a pre-tax profit last year of £920,000, a rise of 30%.

Turnover in the 12 months to 30 April 2007 ran to £25m. In the previous year Conlon’s turnover of £22m resulted in a profit of £710,000.

A statement accompanying the results said: “Our client base continues to expand. We enjoy a good balance between public and private sector clients. Repeat business continues to form a large proportion of turnover.”

Net cash inflow from operating activities during the latest period ran to £1.7m. It follows a figure of £3.5m in the previous year.

The six directors were paid a total of £550,000 including pension contributions.

The highest-paid individual received £75,000 with a further £59,000 for his pension.

The group’s pension cost was £128,000 in total, shared between the 112 employees, including the directors.

Shareholders received a dividend of £250,000. since the year-end there has been a further dividend paid out of £12m.

Conlon’s history is that back in November 1961, five brothers laid the foundations of what has evolved into a construction and property development company.

The brothers were Malachy, Patrick, Vincent, Michael and John.

They had worked in road haulage with their first major project in the late '50s being works on the Preston By-Pass, later to become known as the country's first motorway - the M6.

As the company grew, the brothers began to undertake more and more construction work.

They established a base at Bamber Bridge, Preston.

All five brothers worked in the company until retirement.

The last to do so was Malachy, who retired in 1996. Theresa Noblett (Patrick's daughter) succeeded him as chairman.

There are currently six family members working in the company. Two of them, Michael Conlon and Maureen Boland, are directors.