CONSTRUCTION firm Esh Group has branched out with the purchase of two companies.

The deals for the two companies in the renewables sector, Green Energies and Pure Renewable Energies, mark an important development in the group's future strategy, chief executive Brian Manning said.

The company, based in Bowburn, County Durham, which employs more than 1,000 people and expects turnover to hit £175m this year, up from £150m last year, said in January that it was looking to expand into the "environmentally- friendly" sector.

Both companies will work from the group's head office.

Green Energies designs, supplies and installs a range of renewable energy technologies for the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors, including, heat pumps and wood-fired boilers and stoves.

Pure Renewable Energies was established in 2005 and specialises in developing energy generation from renewable resources, including wind, biomass and solar. The business is also engaged in developing a portfolio of wind farm opportunities. Mr Manning said more of the company's clients were taking an interest in environmentally-friendly features.

He said: "We have found more clients, from individual ones to corporate clients, are interested in the issue.

"That has been brought about by people being more interested in environmental issues generally and Government legislation pushing them that way as well."

Mr Manning added: "We are installers, we don't manufacture.

"People are asking us about renewables and what we can do so we will point them in the direction of Green Energies, use its expertise and hopefully win some work from it.

"Pure Renewable Energies is in the business of winning planning permissions for smaller wind farms and once it has that planning permission we will be looking to build them."

"Ed Marsh and Barry Black, of Green Energies, and Alan Irvine, of Pure Renewable Energies, are skilled and knowledgeable. We're looking forward to working with them and their teams."