Building profits are Rok solid

The group, which has offices in Poole, also reported a record forward order book and that its market share had increased in all its operating regions with net returns among the best in the industry.

Figures for the first six months of the year show that Group turnover was up 157 per cent to £171.8m (2002: £66.8m); operating profit up 101 per cent to £4.59m (2002: £2.28m) and pre-tax profit up 94 per cent to £3.43m (2002: £1.77m).

Chairman Bob Carlton-Porter descriped the results as "sparkling" and said they demonstrated the Group's "outstanding ability to rationalise and integrate major acquisitions successfully".

On the back of the results, the Rok board has decided to raise the interim dividend paid to shareholders by nine per cent to 1.75p per share.

"Market share has increased in all our regional operations with net returns among the best in the industry," said Mr Carlton-Porter. "The platform we have built in southern England is the basis we will use to replicate the formula in other regions through further acquisitions.

"Rok challenges the traditional ways the industry operates and creates specially tailored services that use our core skills to add value for clients," he said.

Among Rok's current construction projects in Dorset are those at Poole Hospital, Bovington Camp and Verwood where the company is building a new Dorset County Council day care centre.

The Group's maintenance activities have been consolidated under the Rokforce brand with the aim of creating the country's premium provider of repair and maintenance services. Sales at Rokforce have increased 86 per cent and the company has been selected by Royal & Sun Alliance as a partner in its repair network.

Rok's confidence in its Poole based building components company Spaceage was underlined by the decision to open a new production facility in September, which will enable it to double capacity to more than 100 roofs per week for its conservatory business.