Maintenance firm spreads its wings to the south

Mar 18 2008 by Karen McLauchlan, Evening Gazette

STONE Technical Services, the Darlington-based company specialising in high level maintenance, safety systems and lightning conductor installation, is launching a South-east office to cope with its growing number of contracts in the area.

The company, which this year celebrates ten years in business, employs 18 people at its Darlington headquarters on Nestfield Industrial Estate. David Stone, who set up Stone Technical Services in 1998, now plans to create another six jobs in the North-east in the coming 18 months as well as a number of positions at the new office in Pinner, Middlesex.

As well as offering all aspects of high level maintenance and lightning conductor installation, Stone Technical Services also specialises in the restoration of churches and historic buildings, as well as services related to industrial steeplejacks.

The company was recently appointed to restore an English Heritage site in Islington, north London which is being turned into new homes.

Stone has also won a variety of lucrative new contracts including a £50,000 contract to provide lightning protection works to ADM Erith’s cereal plant in Kent and a £48,000 contract with Calderdale Council in West Yorkshire to provide conservation works on a number of churches.

In addition, Stone Technical Services is also the appointed contractor managing structural and high level maintenance repairs and lightning conductor installations on St Paul’s Cathedral and works with other large organisations, such as the National Trust, and industrial companies including BASF at Seal Sands and Cummins in Darlington.

David Stone said: “The last year has seen Stone Technical Services undergo a major period of growth.

“We have won important contracts working on projects all over the UK to provide specialist access skills and meet stringent client demands to provide a safe working environment.

“As well as working with industrial companies and heritage organisations all over the North-east and Yorkshire we now have a large number of clients in London and the South-east.

“We felt the time was right to open an office in the area to allow us to continually expand and create more jobs at our headquarters in Darlington.”