Expanding Welsh civil engineering contractor Jones Bros has launched a strategy to win more work north of the border with the opening of its first operations base in Scotland.

The firm, which is currently installing infrastructure for windfarms in East Lothian and Aberdeenshire, has opened offices at Linlithgow near Falkirk in central Scotland.

Regional manager Andrew Aikman will run the operation, which is expected to create jobs for local people.

Founded in the 1950s, the privately-owned Jones Bros has grown rapidly in the last decade. It is currently working on contracts in various sectors including landfill, highways, flood and marine defence and renewals around the UK.

It employs a total of 270 people. The Linlithgow base is the firm’s first permanent office apart from its head office in Ruthin, North Wales.

The firm already has a track record of delivering contracts north of the border. It has completed a number of contracts at the Avondale landfill site, and is presently undertaking the balance of plant contract for the 60-turbine Crystal Rig II windfarm near Dunbar and the seven-turbine Tullo windfarm near Aberdeen.

Whilst it has recruited a full-time quantity surveyor and an additional contracts manager to help run the operation, Andrew Aikman said that the operational workforce would be recruited locally as and when new contracts were won.

“We’ve previously won work from major UK clients and local Scottish operators in the region. So far it’s been a gradual creep into Scotland. There seems to be a lot of potential here and we’re keen to take advantage of the situation. Having a physical presence gives us a fantastic tendering base.”

Born and brought up in Stirling, Andrew worked in civil engineering in Australia for a number of years before moving to North Wales, where he has worked for Jones Bros for a total of 15 years. Recently he set up and ran a successful landfill framework for WRG in Yorkshire for Jones Bros.

Other staff recruited so far include quantity surveyor Debbie McKellar from Bonnyigg near Edinburgh and contracts manager Will Rosie from Fife.

Andrew added: “We secured the £18m Crystal Rig contract against strong competition from the major national firms, based on Jones Bros’ experience building Welsh wind farms. Renewables are going to be a particularly strong area for us going forward.”