A Perth engineering firm plans to create new jobs after increasing sales to more than £10 million.
Turnover at Edwards Engineering increased by 11%, from £9.58 million to £10.48 million, the firm’s year-end results show.
It is the second consecutive year revenues have risen for Edwards, with sales of £7.5m in 2018.
This year’s rise is partly attributed to number of large-scale projects.
Work undertaken includes a £6m job to refurbish existing buildings and install new malting beds for Suffolk-based Muntons.
Edwards Engineering is also involved in a £1.5m project with Bairds Malt to upgrade the Arbroath site’s 22,000 tonne malting plant.
Operating from a 45,000 sq. ft site with extensive fabrication facilities, Edwards supports customers in food and drink, manufacturing, agricultural and construction sector.
Chief executive Ben Carter said: “The pandemic has without a doubt had an impact on our growth strategy.
“However, thanks to our skilled workforce and their ability to quickly adapt to new health and safety measures, we have been able to deliver on a variety of projects throughout the UK.
“We have also secured the supply of materials that are essential to our production process.
“We are working on number of sizeable contracts which will continue throughout 2021 and into 2022.”
Plans to add more staff
The firm also plans to add to its 60-strong workforce.
Mr Carter said: “We have a number of positions we are looking to fill on both the shopfloor, apprentices and project managers.
“We want to add 10% of the headcount in the current period. The jobs are there if we can find the appropriately-skilled people.
“We are very proud of our investment in training and apprentice programme.
“Edwards has excellent reputation when it comes to supporting our workforce and so this is an opportunity to join a business with a secure future.”
Current projects and developments include a new blend centre and bottling facilities for a large distilling group, several maltings and grain handling projects.
Mr Edwards said the group is still targeting turnover of £20m.
The chief executive said: “We think to get there it is going to be a combination of organic growth and acquisitional growth.
“The Edwards business was turning over just over £5m when we acquired it five years ago.
“To get it just north of £10m in five years is pretty good going.
“We’re very much on that growth trajectory.”
Acquisition of Fife firm Narvida
Mr Carter hopes the acquisition earlier this year of Narvida will help them reach their £20m turnover target.
Of the Dalgety Bay-based company, he said: “We’ve been working with Narvida for a long time.
“We’ve used them as a supplier or partner on a number of projects. We saw their skillset and client base as being complimentary.”
The chief executive said the firm’s order book remains healthy, while he described enquiry levels as “buoyant”.