A FAMILY-RUN construction company has secured lucrative contracts to build schools across the region.

Finley Structures, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, is working with contractor Galliford Try on five comprehensive schools.

The company says it will supply, deliver and erect steel between 380 and 400 tonnes for each site, which include Laurence Jackson School, in Guisborough, east Cleveland, and Longbenton Community College, in Newcastle.

The projects add to an already strong order book at Finley, which comprises a 2,600-tonne job to build part of Leeds’ £650m Victoria Gate shopping development.

Jim Graham, Finley Structures’ operations manager, said the company was thrilled to be working with a business of Galliford’s stature.

He added: “This is the first time we’ve worked with Galliford Try and we’re delighted.

“Galliford is known to have a very tight supply chain in the industry, so this deal represents a fantastic opportunity for us.

“We need to perform and be user-friendly, but we’re confident we’ll impress as we do with all our contracts.”

Mr Graham revealed the company will also work at Hetton School, in Hetton Le Hole, Houghton-le-Spring, Duchess Secondary School, in Alnwick and Bedlingtonshire Community School, in Bedlington, Northumberland.

Finley, founded by John Finley in 2000, has carried out a number of high-profile contacts in the region, including a 2,000-tonne project to fabricate and erect the steel frame for Hitachi Rail Europe’s train building factory, on Aycliffe Business Park.

The company, which employs about 60 full-time staff, also completed a 1,400-tonne contract to extend Sunderland’s Nissan plant, oversaw a 300-tonne deal for the National Biologics Centre, in Darlington, and is helping Aycliffe’s Stiller Warehousing and Distribution build a 40,000sq ft storage base.

Other contracts include a 170-tonne job for Britcon at the AMP Technology Centre, in Rotherham, and another school contract for Bowmer and Kirkland, at Allestree, in Derby.