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Keltbray is aiming to hit the ground running with its new concrete business, targeting a turnover of 拢50m by October next year.

The specialist contractor, founded by Brendan Kerr (pictured), launched Keltbray Structures last week after buying parts of insolvent Dunne Group. It has also taken on the firm鈥檚 former boss Gordon Dunne as managing director of the new division.

Commenting on Dunne鈥檚 appointment, John Price, chief executive of Keltbray Structures and managing director of Keltbray, said: 鈥淗e鈥檚 got a wealth of experience in reinforced concrete frames. He鈥檚 been doing it for a very long time having started with Ray O鈥橰ourke, then he set up on his own and is now part of the Keltbray group.鈥�

Keltbray last week completed the purchase of Dunne Group鈥檚 former yard and head office at Bathgate in Scotland and its plant used for the construction of reinforced concrete structures. It has so far hired 15 former Dunne staff, with plans to hire hundreds more as and when concrete work is picked up.

Price confirmed the new company had already put in two bids for work, adding: 鈥淎 lot of our clients have been asking us to do it for some time and they all think it鈥檚 a good move for us.鈥�

He added that the move would allow Keltbray to become 鈥渕ore of a national player鈥�, adding to its offices in Ashford, Basildon, central London, Esher, Wales, Crewe, Rugby and Glasgow, as well as providing a 鈥済reater presence鈥� in Scotland, where the firm is eying up work on offshore oil decommissioning programmes.

Keltbray Structures hopes to avoid the problems faced by Dunne Group and others such as PC Harrington Contactors, which entered administration in May last year, through 鈥渟trength of management and good due processes and procedures,鈥� Price said.

鈥淲ith the loss of Harrington there was a player who was no longer in the sector and the potential therefore was growth space for someone else to offer the service and it鈥檚 a natural progression for Keltbray.

鈥淲hy not put the concrete in the hole we鈥檝e dug,鈥� he added.

Keltbray recorded a 25% jump in revenue to 拢272m for the year ended October 2015, up from 拢217m the previous year, and a 49% increase in pretax profit 拢10.9m, from 拢7.3m.