Construction group Kier increased underlying operating profit by 4% to £56.5m in the second half of last year.

Revenues were static, down 1% to just over £2 billion, as it proposed an interim dividend of 22.5p, up 5%.

The company, which grew pre-tax profits by 12% to £46.3 million, employs more than 100 people at its regional office in New Hythe Business Park, Larkfield.

The team is responsible for projects like the extension of Templeman Library at the University of Kent in Canterbury and the new-build Goodwin Academy, formerly Castle Community College in Deal.

The group has an order book of about £9 billion and has secured all revenues due in construction and services for the year to June 2017.

About 70% of turnover is secured for the following 12 months.

The company – which is a major supplier to the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station which gained government approval in September – made a £39 million profit on the sale of its Mouchel Consulting business.

“The group’s breadth provides some resilience against economic uncertainty and we continue to shape Kier to focus on our core competencies..." - Haydn Mursell, Kier Group

It also announced its chairman Phil White will be retiring after its annual general meeting in November.

Philip Cox, chairman of Drax Group and Global Power Generation, will join as a non-executive director and chairman designate in July.

Chief executive Haydn Mursell said the group is on course to deliver full-year expectations and its long term goals.

He said: “The group’s breadth provides some resilience against economic uncertainty and we continue to shape Kier to focus on our core competencies.

“We are encouraged by the pipeline in the property and eesidential businesses and our healthy order books of approximately £9bn in the construction and services businesses.”