Story invests for growth in Yorkshire
STORY Contracting is set to create 50 new jobs and invest more than £1m in a new Yorkshire plant.
The contractor, with expertise in construction, plant and rail, has opened a Yorkshire base in Normanton.
The company, which is headquartered in Carlisle and employs 450 people from Cumbria, has agreed a long-term lease on the depot in Normanton, which will provide a base in the region for its plant and rail divisions.
Story is a principal contractor to Network Rail and the Normanton site will support key rail infrastructure schemes, including those on the strategic London-North Eastern route.
Twenty-five staff are already based at the Normanton depot, including engineers and plant operators. Story expects the headcount to reach 75 within the next 18 months as professional and operational positions are created to support Network Rail and other customers.
The business also plans to invest more than £1m to expand its plant fleet at the site, which currently has capacity for 20 vehicles and machines to be deployed. This follows investment of almost £4m in the wider Story fleet in the past two years.
Mike Halliday, rail director at Story Contracting, said: “We have been building up our portfolio of rail engineering work in Yorkshire and the North East for some years and the opening of our Normanton site is an important milestone for us. It demonstrates a clear commitment to the region and to getting closer to our customers as we support them on key rail schemes.
“This is a major investment, both in terms of people and in the Story plant fleet. With our integrated service offering and collaborative approach, we are well set to capitalise on opportunities in the rail sector. We want our Normanton site to grow with us.”
Turnover at Story Contracting was £37m in the year to March 31, 2013, of which £18m was generated by the plant and rail divisions. As well as Network Rail, customers include Balfour Beatty and Babcock.
Earlier this month, Story acquired the rail plant division of Caledonian Industrial, which provides track maintenance services across Scotland to Babcock. Following the deal, Story has sites in Carlisle, Normanton and Edinburgh, offering the capability to provide integrated services to projects from the East Midlands to the north of Scotland.
