Mears is preparing to buy a firm in the elderly care services sector for 拢22m, after announcing a double-digit rise in pre-tax profit.

The social housing maintenance specialist will offer shareholders of Careforce 0.46 Mears shares for each Careforce share. Michael Rogers, Careforce鈥檚 chief executive, will join the board of Mears as an executive director, responsible for the group鈥檚 care division.

Mears announced a pre-tax profit of 拢12.5m for the year ended 31 December, up 28% on the previous year. Turnover increased to 拢241m, an increase of 19%.

Bob Holt, executive chairman of Mears, said: 鈥淭here are enormous opportunities for our existing business and the sector we鈥檙e moving into. I鈥檓 confident these factors will take us to new levels in 2007 and beyond.鈥�