A Dundee company hopes Covid-19 will be a temporary setback as it plans to triple turnover to £6 million within five years.
Caltech Lifts is one of Scotland’s leading suppliers and maintainers of lifts and stairlifts, with a staff of 20.
As part of its expansion plans, managing director Andrew Renwick said the firm would like to acquire a rival firm in Scotland or south of the border.
He added: “We’ve been extremely proactive in tendering for all public contracts in Scotland relating to lifts and stairlifts since employing our new general manager Graeme Beaton, who came from a senior position at Wood Group.
“In the last 12 months, we’ve tendered for more than £15m worth of work, some of which we’ve reached stage two of the tendering process for, so we’re excited for the future of this area.”
Mr Renwick is the son of the firm’s founder Howard, with his brother Fraser also working as sales director for the company that was formed in 1978.
Caltech has continued to trade during the coronavirus pandemic and is regarded as a key business that provides an essential service.
Mr Renwick said the company had most staff working from home.
“We now have the majority of our office staff fully operational from home, with just those required at head office to take in parts for essential work,” he said.
“Because of the safety nature of what we do, most of our staff are deemed key workers.
“Our maintenance teams are now based at their homes and are sent to call outs and repairs to lifts and stairlifts as and when they come in.
“We have many clients who absolutely rely on their lifts in these difficult times such as care homes, food retailers, medical centres and sheltered housing complexes.
“We’re also able to continue installation of stairlifts where occupational therapists have deemed it essential for the health and safety of their clients who are at risk of falls down stairs – or who are perhaps in hospital and will only be discharged once a stairlift is installed.
“In this current crisis, it is vital we play our part in keeping lifts and stairlifts in service and operating safely.”
The company has felt the impact from the closure of the majority of construction sites around the country. However, Mr Renwick said the family firm had healthy cash reserves to see it through the crisis.
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