黑洞社区

Continued investment in infrastructure projects has seen consultant Atkins鈥� UK business report a 10% rise in operating profit.

In a statement to the City the firm reported that its UK arm had made an operating profit of 拢57m in the year to 31 March 2013, up from 拢52m the previous year.

It also reported a rise in revenue to 拢900m up from 拢860m over the period.

The firm said its work in the rail and, defence and aerospace had all been 鈥渟trong鈥�.

It said: 鈥淲e are seeing good opportunities in UK infrastructure markets as the UK government seeks to stimulate the economy with its commitment to infrastructure spend and through rail and water regulatory spend.鈥�

However, the group鈥檚 operating profit fell 24% over the period. This was largely due to operating profits being buoyed by a windfall of 拢30.9m following restructuring of the firm鈥檚 pension scheme in 2012. With this and other financial charges stripped out the firm reported a steady level of underlying operating profit of 拢110m in 2013 down from 拢111m the previous year.

The group鈥檚 revenue also remained fairly flat falling just 0.3% to 拢1.7bn over the period.

In a joint statement Allan Cook, chair of Atkins and Uwe Krueger, chief executive of Atkins, said the firm had made 鈥渘otable progress towards the implementation of our strategy over the past 12 months鈥�.

They added: 鈥淲e have continued to optimise our portfolio with the agreed sale of our UK highways services business and sustained positive momentum in our UK, Asia Pacific and Europe and Energy businesses. We are confident we will achieve further underlying growth in the year ahead.鈥�

Speaking to 黑洞社区 David Tonkin, chief executive of Atkins in the UK and Europe, said he was 鈥渇ocused on organic growth鈥�. 鈥淐ompanies that are pressurised into acquisitions make bad mistakes,鈥� he added.

He said that the firm was shifting towards taking on a greater number of longer-term projects and frameworks.

鈥淲e recognise we have great capability in multi-disciplinary complex projects and they tend to be longer,鈥� said Tonkin.

He added that Atkins was currently seeking to fill 1,300 vacancies across the business.

Atkins鈥� Middle East business had a difficult year reporting a 30% fall in operating profit and a 5% fall in revenue to 拢12m and 拢162m respectively.

The firm said the 鈥渟uppressed performance鈥� was due to delays to the start of a number of project and 鈥減rotracted negotiations on variations to major contracts鈥� in the region.

The firm鈥檚 North American business reported a 28% crash in operating profit of 拢15m, down from 拢21m the previous year. Revenue also decline to 拢390m down from 拢422m.

The firm said this had been driven by losses in its Peter Brown construction management business but it added that the market for its other consultancy work also remained 鈥渟oft鈥�.

But Atkins鈥檚 Asia Pacific and Europe region reported a 16% rise in operating profit to 拢14m despite just a small increase in revenue of 0.8% to 拢165m.

It said it planned to continue to expand its work in China and Hong Kong to maintain growth in the region.

The firm鈥檚 energy business also performed well in a 鈥渂uoyant market鈥�. It reported a 18% increase in revenue to 拢152m and a 21% increase i operating profit to 拢14m.