Tayside construction company Kilmac is planning to create 30 new jobs when an £8 million deal to carry out the groundworks on the new Madras College in St Andrews is signed off in the next few weeks.
The civil engineering contractor, which currently employs 100 staff at its offices in Dundee and Perth, is celebrating a series of contract wins this year.
The company has bounced back after being forced to make 10 redundancies towards the end of last year.
Group director Athole McDonald said the redundancies were the result of unexpected delays in the awarding of multiple construction contracts and that Kilmac was now in a much stronger position.
“We have been moving beyond what had been our traditional geographic area in Tayside, expanding our horizons and forging new relationships,” he said.
“Madras College promises to be the biggest job we have ever handled and will also provide security for the existing workforce in the longer term.”
Mr McDonald said the company was projecting revenue of £20m this year through its construction arm.
It has also entered into a lucrative joint venture providing a timely cash injection to its development arm.
“There is a real air of positivity within our company following the joint venture agreement we recently struck with Muirhall Energy to deliver the £50m Glen Ullinish wind farm project on the Isle of Skye,” he said.
“We have been working towards this for eight years. It has the potential to become one of the most productive onshore wind projects in the UK and one the country’s first subsidy free onshore wind projects.
“A four-year grid connection delay had tied-up our initial seven-figure investment but now we are planning to deliver the project in 2023.”
Mr McDonald said Kilmac Energy’s experience in delivering its own £2.5m Finavon Hill wind project in Angus would prove vital in the 42-megawatt Skye development.
Kilmac has also recently been given the green light to commence £1.5m groundworks for the Robertson Eastern contract for a new John Clark BMW/Mini franchise at the former Lochee Juniors football ground in Kings Cross Road, Dundee.
This follows the successful delivery of the adjacent Jaguar Land Rover project.
“We are also delighted to continue our excellent relationship with Dundee City Council as main contractor on the Camperdown car park upgrade,” Mr McDonald added.
“We can also confirm our first tie-in with new clients, Maxi for a new primary school in Menstrie, Clackmannanshire, and Hadden Construction’s affordable homes development in Crieff’s Pigeon Row.
“And we have also started a major groundworks project for another new client, the Clugston Group, at their £210m energy from waste plant at Grangemouth.”
rmclaren@thecourier.co.uk