Costain says it will increasingly target blue-chip clients as part of its recovery plan after last year's 拢61m pre-tax loss.

Andrew Wyllie, the chief executive, said it would seek 鈥渓ong-term quality over short-term quantity鈥� and pointed to frameworks with BAA, Sainsbury鈥檚 and Marks & Spencer in 2007 as the way ahead.

He made his comments as the company announced a return to the black with a pre-tax profit of 拢19.8m in the year ended 31 December 2007. Last year鈥檚 loss followed write-downs against contract claims in the building division. The news prompted it to deliver a dividend of 0.5p, the first in 17 years.

Turnover dipped from 拢886m to 拢878m and the order book fell from 拢1.8bn in 2006 to 拢1.6bn as the group pushed for higher-end clients.

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