John F Hunt brings in business development director

The business development director with Kent contractor Claritas has joined demolition firm John F Hunt in the same role and will split his time between the two.

Simon Wilkinson has been at Claritas, formerly AMCM, for more than four years having joined in 2018 from Wates where he spent 13 years.

It is understood Wilkinson, who began his career at John Laing, will spend two days a week at Claritas and three days at Hunt.

Wilkinson has been tasked with growing Hunt’s commercial business in London and chairman John Hall said: “We are seeing a growing demand for specialist contractors, not only to advise and engage in the repurposing of existing buildings but to take on far more substantial and complex packages, ranging from demolition up to and including the entire concrete frame and core.”

Last week Hunt said it was ready to pay its £5.6m bid rigging fine at the earliest opportunity having ring-fenced the money from last year.

In its last set of accounts, the firm said turnover in the year to March 2022 was up 35% to £140m with group pre-tax profit up 43% to £10.6m.

The firm is expected to post a turnover for the latest financial year of around £195m and pre-tax profit in excess of £12m.

Claritas was set up in 2011 by another former Wates staffer Jon Wardle and at one stage had former Wates chief operating officer Dave Smith as a non-executive director. Smith is now Osborne’s chief executive, having initially been appointed interim boss in 2021.

In its last set of results for the year to March 2022, the 100-strong Claritas had a turnover of £50m and a pre-tax profit of £456,000. Income this year is set to be close to £60m.