One of the UK's leading railway contracting businesses, the Lanarkshire-based QTS Group, has reported record annual turnover and profits.
Turnover at the family-owned company jumped by 135 per cent to £65.4million in the year to March 2014, with pre-tax profits up by 111 per cent to £6.54m. Business will be further boosted with a major new partnership contract with Network Rail as part of the UK-wide Renewals Collaborative Delivery programme. QTS is one of seven suppliers who will deliver more than 1000 maintenance, renewals and enhancements projects improving earthworks, bridges, tunnels, footbridges and station buildings as part of Network Rail's £38 bn programme to build a bigger, better UK railway during the five-year period between 2014 and 2019.
Based in Drumclog near Strathaven in Lanarkshire, QTS is a multi-discipline organisation servicing the rail, transport, utilities and private construction sectors throughout the UK. Headed by its founder, Alan McLeish, its services span environmental and vegetation management, civil engineering, training, and drainage.
QTS currently employs 172 staff at the company's operational bases in Drumclog, Nottingham and Preston, with a further 800 sub-contractors working on contracts across the UK.
Mr McLeish, managing director, commented: "We are hugely encouraged by the fact turnover has grown rapidly from the £19m we reported three years ago and that is a testament to the sheer hard work and commitment delivered by the team across the country.
"This growth has been fuelled by winning more framework contracts and alliances within the UK rail sector, improved supplier relationships and our increased capability to deliver more works and innovative operational solutions."
He said a major capital investment programme during the financial year had increased the road rail vehicle fleet and upgraded the commercial vehicle fleet to ensure QTS maintained competitive edge in the delivery of specialist services including vegetation management.
Last year's projects included framework contracts on fencing, vegetation and minor works across the UK rail network. The company will start work this year on a five-year earthworks and coastal defences contract, as well as minor works across three regions of the network, ensuring that QTS remains one of the largest rail infrastructure contractors.
Mr McLeish said the the new infrastructure projects contract with Network Rail represented a major opportunity for the business, which was already working closely with the client team to ensure improvement work was delivered safely and efficiently.
QTS has added additional office accommodation at the Strathaven headquarters to accommodate the new staff required as part of the Network Rail contract and the company plans further investment at its Nottingham and Preston offices.
Mr McLeish added: "These results allow us to really build for the future, whether that is developing our workforce, investing in new fleet or adding to our green energy credentials across the country."
Mr McLeish was last year named one of the UK's top entrepreneurs at the 2014 Ernst & Young awards, and was also Scotland's sole representative in the Entrepreneur of the Year category at the British Chamber of Commerce business awards ceremony in London in November.
QTS, which has strong links with Kilmarnock FC, is a commercial partner for the latter stages of the current season's Scottish League Cup.
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