Building and maintenance company, Rok, has launched a new business stream.

Rok Plumbing Heating and Electrical incorporates five companies, all of which have been acquired in the last 18 months.

Corrie and Pitkerro which are based in Scotland; Avonside with offices in Scotland and England; EMB in the North of England; and Barkbury in the Midlands have been combined to form one strong, unified business now operating under one national brand. Rok Plumbing Heating and Electrical employs local, skilled technicians, with a wealth of experience in installation, repair and maintenance services, with an increasing amount of work being undertaken in growth markets such as renewable energy initiatives.

Rok Chief Executive, Garvis Snook, said: "The launch of Rok Plumbing Heating and Electrical is an important development for our business. Having increased our market share in this sector through acquisition we will build on the reputations and experience these companies possess to roll out their specialist services across the country.

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"Roughly a quarter of the work on all building projects consists of plumbing, heating and electrical activities and we are keen to keep this in-house thus ensuring we provide a high quality of workmanship and service for our customers.

"Organisations need reliable and efficient repairs and regular maintenance to keep the costs of running buildings to a minimum. Insurance companies need a network of skilled craftsmen operating for them across the country. The formation of Rok Plumbing Heating and Electrical provides a specialist service with dedicated technicians employed directly by us - a service which is welcomed by the market and our customers."

Rok Plumbing Heating and Electrical will operate under the umbrella of Rok plc; Donnie Fraser and Steve Sayers will be the directors leading the new business.

The new company's workforce - already numbering in excess of 1,000 tradespeople - will be bolstered by Rok's continuing recruitment programme. On average, 55 new recruits complete Rok's induction programme each month - the large majority being technicians.

Operations Director, John Samuel, said: "The launch of Rok PHE is the latest development in a strategy to deliver long-term sustainable growth. We have a wealth of talent and expertise within the new company, brought together under a single vision and brand. We will continue to advance and grow the business over the coming months, serving local communities with our local, directly employed, technicians."

(GK/JM)