Ocon Construction, a Manchester contractor, has appointed a managing director to more than double turnover at the group over the next five years.

Clive Williamson plans to increase turnover from 拢96m to 拢195m. He said: 鈥淲e want to grow at 15% a year and will look at

extending beyond student and residential accommodation into hotels and educational facilities through our university contacts.鈥�

He also intends to increase staff 10%. The group鈥檚 140 employees are now spread across three offices in Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham. Under the new regime the firm intends to move into other regions 鈥渨hen the time is right鈥�.

This may mean tying-up with property group Opal, a 90% shareholder in Ocon, in Wales and the South-west.

Williamson does, however, plan to cut Ocon鈥檚 reliance on work from Opal, which now stands at 60%. He said: 鈥淭he plan is to reduce that to 40% as we move into new contracting areas.鈥�

Williamson worked as operations manager at Balvac Whitley Moran, a repair and refurbishment specialist owned by Balfour Beatty from 1986 to 1990.

He also worked as deputy managing director of Jarvis鈥� highways division between 2002 and 2004.

Ocon was founded in 2004 by Stuart Wall, whom Williamson will replace as managing director. Wall will become chairman.

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