MORAY construction firm the Robertson Group is predicting a 50 per cent uplift in turnover for the 2015/16 financial year, with the firm expected to break the £400m barrier for the first time.

The business, which will announce its full results in the next six weeks, said profits for the year are also expected to rise.

Executive chairman Bill Robertson said the results are the combined effort of the group’s 19 operating companies, which collectively employ 1,900 people.

“The group has now started delivering on its new five-year strategic plan with a strong focus on sustainability, innovation and productivity,” Mr Robertson said.

“The continued success of the group will be based on generating sustainable and appropriate margins for any work undertaken.”

In the past five years a key strategic focus for the group has been to retain and reinvest profits, with the business expanding into Yorkshire and the East Midlands as well as the social and affordable housing space in the 2014/15 year.

The firm also sold down some of its investments in property and public sector projects to help finance its growth.

According to Mr Robertson, key highlights of the last financial year have been the growth of the group’s affordable housing business, which has secured contracts to deliver 2,500 homes in Scotland in the next five years, as well as its private sector business Robertson Homes.

The latter, which saw the number of units sold increase by 65 per cent in the last financial year, is currently working on developments in Dunbar, Strathaven and Mid Calder.

As the business embarks on its new five-year strategy Mr Robertson said it will continue to “utilise its cash and funding base to invest further in the private and affordable homes business as well as in public sector infrastructure projects, where we have a long-term track record in investing and delivering a range of school, health and community facilities”.

Last month the Robertson Group was announced as the successful bidder to develop a new exhibition and conference centre in Aberdeen.

The Elgin-based business was appointed by property company Henry Boot Developments, which is Aberdeen City Council’s joint-venture partner on the development.

At 12,500, the new Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) will hold four times as many people as the existing Bridge of Don-based AECC and the site will include two hotels, one operated by Hilton Hotels and one by Aloft.

At the time David Anderson, managing director of Henry Boot Developments, said the Robertson Group’s local knowledge was a key factor in it being awarded the contract.

“Both ourselves and the city council were very keen to, where possible, maximise the local involvement,” he said. “Robertson is very active in that part of the world and it does large schemes of this type.”

Other projects the Robertson Group is currently involved in are a new distillery and visitor centre for scotch whisky brand The Macallan and a £60m hospital in Orkney.