Arnold Laver & Co sees 2009 being a “tough year for everyone in the construction industry”, but says that its focus on growth markets and high proportion of customers working in the public sector stand it in good stead.
After releasing the company’s figures, which showed a profits hike for the year to June 2008, managing director Andrew Laver said conditions since have been more difficult.
“With the economy entering recession, there has been a fall in turnover during the second part of 2008 for [our] timber division,” he said.
He forecast private sector construction to remain tough for the next year or so.
“However, an analysis of our customer base shows approximately half are focused on the public sector, including construction of schools and hospitals, all of which are forecast to grow over the next three years,” he said.
He added that the company’s timber division had developed long-term “preferred supplier agreeements with major civil engineering contractors in these growth sectors”. As one of the 2012 Olympic Timber Supply Panel, it was also delivering daily to the Games village site.
In the year to June 2008, Laver’s timber, leisure and property divisons returned profits up 21% at £6.4m on turnover of £111m. The 13-branch Arnold Laver Timber World business increased sales by 5%.
