CAIRNGORM Windows, the Inverness-based glazing company, has proclaimed its best six month period for a decade and is now looking to expand its Inverness facility.

Sales at the third-generation family business jumped by 15 per cent to £5.25 million in the six months to June 30.

Cairngorm, which had revenues of £10m last year, manufactured 20,000 windows in 2015 – 2,000 more than the record set in 2008.

“We’re now very optimistic that we are on our way to setting a new production record in 2016”, said Mr Dowling.

The sales increase was aided by the opening of a new shop in Thurso in April.

This has all combined to help the company to create ten more jobs in the last six months, taking employee numbers to more than 100.

“It’s an excellent outcome, with major windows and doors activity in Caithness, including a local housing contract which will carry on throughout the year, helping to fuel the increase,” said managing director David Dowling.

Mr Dowling added that the company had seen brisk business from housebuilders such as Tulloch Homes and Springfield Homes, from Easter Ross to the Central Belt.

“Our forward workbook for the remainder of 2016 is also encouragingly strong, including contracts in Orkney and Skye while the Inverness area remains very busy for us and we’ve agreed to take on work as far east as Aberdeen,” he added.

The company expanded its premises two years ago with the addition of a fitted kitchen showroom and new offices – and Mr Dowling said he was already in discussions to put in place further expansion plans to meet Cairngorm’s growth strategy.

“Many windows in the North are now 30 years or more old and thus need replacing. We’re also enjoying significant growth this year in ‘first fixing’ where people building one-off homes come to us to make and fit the windows, because they prefer the same firm to install them,” said Mr Dowling.

While glazing is performing well, Cairngorm noted that like all suppliers, it has had a dip in the number of solar panel orders since the government reduced the subsidy earlier this year.

But Mr Dowling added: ”Solar business is proving more buoyant than we might have anticipated as new build housing still needs them while planning regulations are beginning to demand them.”