A CONSTRUCTION boss believes the recession has been a good thing for his firm.

Tim Webber, managing director of Barnfield Construction, is looking forward to posting positive numbers at the year end, with profits up to around the £5million-mark from £3million last year.

And with order books full for next year and filling up for the year after, Barnfield is well-placed to continue grow its diverse portfolio.

As you drive around East Lancashire, the Barnfield logo is emblazoned on several building sites, as new ventures with Eurogarages among others start to spring up.

But Mr Webber said the recession, starting in 2008, made the business take a long, hard look at itself.

He said: “We had to become more selective in the work we were doing.

“In previous years, we were doing projects that were not as profitable as they maybe should have been.

“We have a diverse portfolio so we aren’t reliant on one particular sector.

“The recession made us look at ourselves and what we did and we have come through it stronger and, thankfully, we didn’t have to make people redundant.

“But we have had a chance to review our business model and things are looking very bright.”

Links with Pendle Council though the PEARL (Pendle Enterprise and Regeneration Ltd) joint venture, Rossendale Council and Burnley Football Club have put the firm in the headlines in recent months.

The Northlight project, which will transform the derelict Brierfield Mill in Glen Way into a £32m leisure development, is one the firm is particularly proud of.

Mr Webber said: “A lot of the money goes to the big cities like Manchester and Liverpool, and its in East Lancashire where redevelopment is needed most.

“I think it gets overlooked sometimes, but with Northlight, it will really mark the gateway to Pendle and be a huge asset to the area.

“And we are well-placed to take on work in this area. We know the area, we live here and we use sub-contractors from the local area so the money stays in the local economy.

“We both develop and invest in the local area, something that not a lot of construction firms will do.

“And we have a social conscience so it’s not just about profit, it’s about improving East Lancashire and the lives of the people who live here.”

The Clarets’ new training ground, the £10.6m Burnley Barnfield Training Centre, is a 73,000 m2 area and brand new dedicated new training centre, brings first class facilities for the first team, development squad and youth team players under one roof for the first time.

They have also been appointed to carry out work on two corners of Turf Moor, between the Jimmy McIlroy stand and both the James Hargreaves and Bob Lord stands, to improve disabled access and create viewing platforms.

On top of this, Barnfield are developing Weavers Triangle in Burnley, an have tie-ins with other East Lancashire boroughs including Blackburn with Darwen.

Mr Webber said: “The way we work, we have the flexibility to be able to jump on an opportunity if and when it arises.

“We are not process driven so we are a little bit different to most.

“Working with Burnley has been a pleasure. We were able to deliver what Sean Dyche wanted and were able to give people in the area a chance to have a look around the new facility.

“We have a great team and it gives us a great deal of pleasure to be able to provide new facilities by working with our partners across East Lancashire.”