Clark Contracts has picked up its biggest contract ever with the award of £7.2m worth of work by Renfrewshire Council to refurbish Castlehead High School in Paisley.

The modernisation work at the school includes the complete renewal of electrical, water and heating systems, internal redecoration and the installation of a new lift and ramps to improve disabled access.

Also included are new flooring and suspended ceilings, repairs and replacement of fittings and furniture, window and door repairs and replacement, external render repairs, alterations to room configurations and roofing works.

Built originally in 1972, Castlehead High School has around 1200 pupils who will re-locate to the former St Cuthberts High School in nearby Johnstone for the 2007/08 session, to allow the refurbishment works to take place.

Gordon Cunningham, managing director, said the year-long contract, which starts this month, fits well with Clark's future strategy to work towards higher-value contracts.

Last year the Paisley-based contractor secured the £6m contract to build the Astley Ainslie Rehabilitation Unit in Edinburgh for the NHS.

Cunningham said: "We believe that winning a contract of this size underlines our growing capability to take on and deliver high-value projects. It is also the latest in a series of contracts to build and refurbish school, college and university buildings, which confirms our expanding track record in the education sector."

Clark Contracts has worked with Renfrewshire Council for over 20 years on a variety of high-profile projects including current work at a social healthcare facility on Back Sneddon Street in Paisley and Houston Primary School.

The company specialises in construction, refurbishment and maintenance contracts across Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North of England, with particular strengths in the retail, leisure, office, education and public sectors. It employs over 270 people at offices in Paisley and Edinburgh Park and operates across five divisions: construction; refurbishment; maintenance; insurance; painting and decorating.

Over 80% of Clark Contracts' business is repeat business, something the company believes is influenced heavily by "Customers 1st", its self- designed, customer care programme which has helped the business to more than double in size over the past four years.

Driven by a "Zero Defects Team" which operates at every level of the business, the programme aims to minimise snagging issues and set unprecedented service standards in the building industry.

In January, Clark's reported a 50% rise in turnover to £46m, comfortably outstripping its own half-year projections by £3m. The result was achieved through a number of high-value contract wins in Scotland's burgeoning social housing sector and ongoing contracts with household names like Gala Coral.

The firm carries out work ranging from maintenance repairs to contract projects with typical values ranging from between £100,000 and £6m.