A STEEL company aims to create jobs after bolstering its order book with nuclear submarine and medical contracts.

SCH Site Services wants steel erectors, crane drivers and a foreman to drive its growth.

The move comes after the company, based in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, secured a raft of deals.

The agreements include work to refurbish a BAE Systems structure used to make nuclear submarines and a development at drugs firm GlaxoSmithKline, in Barnard Castle, County Durham.

SCH will also oversee changes at Newcastle’s Belvedere Retail Park and is supporting Sir Robert McAlpine on the refurbishment of the student union building at Leeds University.

To support the endeavours and secure future growth, bosses say they want at least eight workers, which would take their team to nearly 50.

The business has already taken on office manager, Lynsey Finley, and apprentice administrator, Callum Emmerson.

Andy Braid, operations director, said: “We’ve enjoyed a number of new contract wins, which come off the back of another record year for the company in terms of sales, so we’re delighted.

“We’ve also employed two new office staff and we’re now looking to expand on the site side to accommodate the recent contracts, which will keep us busy well into the autumn.”

Mr Braid said SCH’s annual sales grew slightly to £4.8m, up from £4.5m in 2015, and revealed it has just completed a wood project for broadcaster Sky’s headquarters and overseen a 150-tonne job for chemical company Huntsman Tioxide at Greatham, near Hartlepool.

Referring to his appointment, Mr Emmerson, a former part-time Bishop Auckland railway station volunteer, said he was delighted to have the opportunity to build his career.

The 17-year-old, who is from Ferryhill, County Durham, added: “Everyone is great to work with and has supported me and I’m looking forward to learning more.

“Before I started my apprenticeship, I had very little experience in the construction industry, but now I feel like I have been here a lot longer than I actually have.”

Formed in 2006, SCH began as a crane hire company with four mobile cranes and four drivers before growing into steelwork.