Fife quarrying, contracting and construction supply firm Skene Group is to continue its growth with the creation of 18 new jobs after securing a string of fresh contracts worth almost £4.5 million.
The Glenrothes-based group’s employment boost brings its total workforce to approaching 250, and follows further successes revealed earlier this year.
Taken together, the new recruitment marks a 19% increase in workforce headcount over the last six months.
The company now expects to recruit civil engineering ground workers, excavator operators, labourers and mechanical fitters to work on fresh contracts in the energy, housing, retail and rail sectors.
Skene said the new deals, believed to include work on the new £300m Borders Railway project connecting Edinburgh to Tweedbank near Melrose, will also allow the company to expand further into the north and north-east of Scotland.
Managing director Neil Skene said the boost was “fantastic news”.
He said: “We are always delighted when we create new jobs and particularly when we are able to give opportunities to young people.
“At Skene, we pride ourselves on helping the Fife community by being one of the largest employers in the area.
“Where possible we try to employ local workers and sub-contractors, which means their wages go directly back into the Fife economy.”
He said winning deals across a range of different projects was particularly encouraging and stood the firm in good stead for the future.
“The fact that the Skene Group is winning contracts across several sectors and in different parts of the country shows the strength of the company and its employees,” Mr Skene said.
“These new contracts should further strengthen the reputation of the company and lead to strong business relationships and further work in the future.”
The 45-year-old company, which has successfully diversified from its late 1960s origins in plant contracting to become a leading independent in the construction supplies sector, revealed deals with around £8m earlier this year.
They included groundworks and civil engineering services at a major supermarket development in Leven, as well as similar work on the sub-structure for the new Glenwood Health Centre in Glenrothes.
Work also included a school extension project in Angus, retail scheme in Perth, and a new energy depot in Dundee.
Glenrothes and Central Fife MP Lindsay Roy said the most recent contract gains represented a “major achievement” for the company.
“The new business, which was won in the face of stiff opposition, will not only secure existing employment but will bring more jobs to the area in continuing difficult financial times,” he said.