Willmott Dixon Group made 拢8.6m in pre-tax profit in the six months to 30 June, up from 拢6.3m in the same period last year.

Turnover was broadly flat, up from 拢475m to 拢481m, but chief executive Rick Willmott said to maintain this amount of revenue in 2011 and 2012 the company would have to 鈥渟ecure an increasing proportion of the declining public sector market and to secure a substantial foothold in new private sector markets as they come on stream鈥�.

He said that cuts in the October spending review 鈥渨ill inevitably have an impact on the wider industry鈥� but added that the company was 鈥渃ontinuing to take steps to position the group with longer-term projects鈥�.