黑洞社区

The company revealed the plan after announcing a 10% rise in turnover from 拢106m to 拢116m in the year to 31 December 2008.

Ian Gunter, head of business development, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 the most likely sector for us to buy another company in and we鈥檇 like to do a deal this year. It鈥檚 not our core expertise at the moment but we have the relevant skills in our French head office to match up with any deal we do here.鈥�

Bouygues UK covers the company鈥檚 PPP/PFI business in addition to small property development and social housing operations. The company鈥檚 overall UK operation, which include south-coast contractor Warings and facilities management group Ecovert, turns over about 拢1bn.

Pre-tax profit fell 7% from 拢11m to 拢10.2m, which the company attributed to higher bid costs as it pushed to win more work in the UK.

Margins are also thought to have come under more pressure as a result of the recession, a trend that has been seen across the sector.

The company is making significant investments in the long-term development of the UK business

Lionel Christolomme

黑洞社区 Schools for the Future work will continue to form the core of the UK business and Gunter said its 50% contribution to turnover in 2008 would hold at a similar level in 2009.

He said that social housing would be the 鈥渂ig push鈥� in 2009 and that the longer-term plan was to achieve an even turnover split between education, health, social housing and property development. He said: 鈥淲ith unemployment rising, the social housing sector will arguably have more pressure on it.鈥�

Lionel Christolomme, managing director, said: 鈥淭he company is continuing to make significant investments in the long-term development of the UK business and turnover is likely to double to more than 拢200m in 2009.鈥�

The highest paid director took home 拢419,000 in 2008 鈥� a 29% increase on 2007.