THE construction firm behind some of Dorset’s major public buildings has announced a return to profit.

Morgan Sindall, which has a regional office in Cabot Lane, Poole, made a pre-tax profit of £15.4million in the first half of this year.

In the same period last year, its pre-tax profit of £12.2m became a loss of £27.2m once exceptional items were counted.

Full-year figures for 2015 showed the group losing £10.3m, although adjusted operating profit was up 34 per cent to £38.8m.

Chief executive John Morgan told journalists: “We’ve had a really good first half-year and we’ve made really good progress.”

He added: “We feel we’re in a strong position, we’ve got a really strong management team and very capable.

“We have a much stronger balance sheet and the best order book we’ve ever had.”

The group said operating profit before amortisation and exceptional items in the first half of 2016 was up 17 per cent to £18.2m from £15.5m last year.

Its order book was worth £3.1bn, up 11 per cent on last year, with a £3.2billion pipeline of regeneration schemes.

Mr Morgan said the company had been “de-risking” its balance sheets, largely by turning old work in progress into cash.

“We’ve had businesses that are just not producing what they should be and we’ve been working harder and harder to get those businesses making more money,” he said.

Nick Fletcher, managing director for infrastructure, said: “Our continued focus on key customers and their requirements, combined with our rigorous approach to selecting the right opportunities, have resulted in an encouraging set of results.”

Pat Boyle, managing director for construction, said: “We are committed to delivering inspirational projects of the highest quality that deliver value to communities across the UK.”

Morgan Sindall is to design and build Bournemouth University’s £39.5million Gateway building, which will house the health and social sciences department, subject to planning permission.

The agreement was secured after the company’s appointment to the Southern Construction Framework, a vehicle for public bodies in the south to procure projects worth more than £1m.

Other projects in recent years have included the £9m Citrus building at Bournemouth’s Horsehoe Common, the £2.8m West Block halls of residence for the Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) and the £1.9m drawing studio and £3.8m extension to the photographic department, also at the AUB.

Mr Morgan said it was difficult to say what effect the EU referendum would have on the business but it was possible that Morgan Sindall’s partnership housing work could be a net gainer.