Firm believes move from main stock market will reap 鈥榮ignificant benefits鈥

Support services group Lakehouse has announced it is to leave the main stock market and join AIM, believing it will reap 鈥渟ignificant benefits鈥 from the move.

Following a review of the business, management determined AIM was a 鈥渕ore appropriate market for a company of Lakehouse鈥檚 size鈥, enabling it to attract investors without the need for costly prospectus documentation.

The company said it expected its shares to commence trading on AIM on 2 May.

鈥淭here will be significant benefits from the proposed move to AIM, which will enable the company to more effectively deliver value to all of its stakeholders, including shareholders,鈥 it said in a statement.

Lakehouse also revealed details of a new contract worth 拢39m to supply smart meters to Scottish Power customers in the West Midlands.

Starting in May, the four-year deal will involve the installation of some 400,000 meters, comprising both smart meters and 鈥榖usiness as usual鈥 installations.

In January Lakehouse announced a 54% slump in underlying pre-tax profit for the year to September 2016 to 拢9.9m, on underlying revenue of 拢305.8m, down 9.2%.

At the time of the results announcement Holt said the 2016 financial year had been 鈥渃hallenging鈥 for the group, 鈥渂ut one we believe will prove to be transformational, having focused on reviewing the strategy of the group, stabilising operational performance with a view to improvement and controlling costs at every level, whilst retaining a high quality of client service鈥.

Bob Holt, Lakehouse鈥檚 executive chairman, said the Scottish Power contract 鈥渞eaffirms our strategy of becoming a best in class supplier in the energy services market鈥.

He added: 鈥淓lsewhere the group is performing to the board鈥檚 expectations as a result of the strategic initiatives implemented in each division and we expect a strong second half performance from the group as previously indicated.

鈥淲e remain focused on restoring shareholder value by delivering against our organic growth strategy.鈥