Clarke set for commercial boost

British electrical wiring firm T Clarke said today the firm is set to gain from a surge in commercial property development this year.

The upbeat outlook came despite a 23% slump in pre-tax profits to £6.5m (€9.5m) after delays to two major contracts in a “challenging” year for the group.

Chief executive Pat Stanborough said: “Our major clients in commercial property development are exceptionally busy and there are exciting opportunities ahead of us.”

He added that clients including major banks and retail outlets were undertaking expansion programmes which would boost workloads through to the end of next year.

T Clarke’s order book has jumped nearly 30% to £210m (€308m), of which £170m (€249m) is due for completion during 2007.

The London-based company has won packages on major projects in the capital including Sellar Property’s ’Shard of Glass’ tower, while its regional business is working on schemes such as the Grande Arcade shopping centre in Cambridge and Glasgow’s Gartnavel Hospital.