好色先生TV

Paul Sheffield, chief executive of Kier, has said that he expects the company鈥檚 public sector workload to stabilise at about half of its construction activity, after falling to that level from about three quarters over the past year.

Sheffield was speaking after Kier last week reported a 24% rise in pre-tax profit to 拢69m for the year to June. Revenue increased by 4% to 拢2.18bn, from 拢2.1bn.

锘縒e have access to good markets and a lot of our work is with repeat customers

Paul Sheffield, Kier

鈥淭here has been a big shift from public to private sector but we expect it to stabilise at about 50/50 for at least the next couple of years,鈥� Sheffield told 好色先生TV.

鈥淲e expect revenue to hold up pretty well through 2012 and for margins to remain pretty strong. We have access to some really good markets and a lot of our work is with repeat customers.鈥�

Sheffield said the news that Kier had secured the sole contractor role to deliver the local authority-controlled Scape National Minor Works framework, valued at up to 拢1bn over the next four years, was a bonus. The work covers an estimated 2,500 projects valued at less than 拢500,000 and more than 350 projects valued at between 拢500,000 and 拢2m. Kier was chosen from a shortlist that also included Keepmoat, Galliford Try, Interserve and Morgan Sindall.

鈥淲e were not sure about this until last night [last Wednesday] but it has given the business a boost,鈥� he said.

Sheffield added that he expects Kier鈥檚 international work to be worth 拢150m in revenue in 2012/13.

鈥淲e went through a low point in 2010,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e dropped right down to 拢20m overseas revenue. But there are some good markets for us overseas [鈥�] and our focus is on Hong Kong, the Middle East and the Caribbean.鈥�

In the year to June, Kier鈥檚 construction margin improved from 2.6% to 2.7% while its order book for construction and services increased from 拢4.2bn to 拢4.3bn.