The company said it had grown its order book in an 鈥榰ncertain economic and political climate鈥�

T Clarke has posted an 8% increase in pre-tax profits for the first half of 2017 on the back of a 17% rise in turnover.

The building services firm, , reported turnover for the six months to 30 June 2017 of 拢142.8m, up 17%, and pre-tax profits for the period of 拢2.5m, a rise of 8%.

The company said it had grown its order book 鈥� up 22.5% to 拢392m 鈥� in an 鈥渦ncertain economic and political climate鈥ith good quality work and improving margins across most of our regions鈥�.

Operations in London and the south east continued to dominate the firm鈥檚 business, accounting for 拢81m of revenues, up 30%, and 拢3.5m of operating profits, up 150%.

The firm鈥檚 central and south west activity suffered from a number of delayed project starts, it said, while the north and Scotland had secured a number of new schemes.

Net cash had nearly doubled to 拢2.4m, while shareholders would receive an interim dividend of 0.6p, up 20%.

The group, which has picked up new contracts at the John Lewis department store at the Westfield London shopping complex and work at a commercial building at Manchester Airport, said it remained 鈥渃autiously optimistic鈥� about its future prospects.

Yesterday T Clarke announced it had acquired Eton Associates, a privately-owned, London-based building services firm with annual revenues of 拢9.5m, for a potential 拢2.6m, subject to certain financial targets being met.

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