McLaren Construction has won the first contract under the Royal Mail’s £300m framework deal

The contractor will start work later this month on the £1.5m refurbishment of a sorting office in Warrington, Cheshire.

The four-year framework deal covers new build and refurbishment work on mail centres, delivery offices, regional distribution centres, workshops and depots.

It will be worth £40-50m a year, with the option of a two-year extension.

Kevin Taylor, McLaren’s chairman, said: “This framework will provide a steady stream of work for us over the next four years at least and is indicative of our strategy of targeting new areas as the construction market continues to evolve.”

McLaren was confirmed in September as one of seven contractors to win a place on the four-year framework.

The six others are John Sisk & Son, Longcross Construction, Mace, Miller, Volker Fitzpatrick and Wates.

Work on the Warrington sorting office is due for completion next spring.

Figures posted at Companies House show McLaren made an operating profit of £15.5m on turnover of £130m for the year to July 2008.