A COMBINATION of the Government s green policies and rising fuel prices provided fertile ground for rapid expansion of a Huntingdon-based technical services company. Bierce Technical Services, which specialises in heating schemes and energy efficiency mea

A COMBINATION of the Government's green policies and rising fuel prices provided fertile ground for rapid expansion of a Huntingdon-based technical services company.

Bierce Technical Services, which specialises in heating schemes and energy efficiency measures, has seen staff numbers double in the past year to 12 with the prospect of adding up to 50 per cent more people to the payroll during 2009.

Turnover in 2008 increased by 35 per cent, and profitability also rose by around 30 per cent, managing director Stephen Birch told The Hunts Post.

"Our client base and project base have increased by a similar amount, and I'm confident that we shall achieve similar business growth next year [2009]," he added.

Bierce Technical Services was formed from a buy-out from a property consultancy that managed energy-efficiency projects in the domestic housing sector.

After the company went into administration, former director Mr Birch and his partner Leigh Holden offered to buy it and its contract-base to set up a stand-alone engineering-biased test and inspection company.

The business, which operates across mainland Britain, has grown strongly since then, enabling it to invest in capital equipment and expand its range of services and clients, which include government, housing associations, energy companies and property consultants.

"Central Government's raising energy efficiency up the political agenda, backing it with money and giving targets to local authorities have helped our business growth. And the increases in energy prices concentrated people's minds," Mr Birch said.

"There have been a lot of technical developments that have made payback on investment quicker - as well as saving the environment - and there has generally been a lot of interest. We spotted that several years ago and decided to develop the business along these lines. I can only see it increasing."

In addition to heating systems, Bierce is involved in cavity wall and loft insulation, draft-proofing and development of renewable energy sources, including ground-source heating and solar, all of which are backed by Government cash.

"Local authorities are focusing on hard-to-heat properties, which tend to be older and without wall cavities. We can do benefit help checks and advise on free energy from renewables."

INFORMATION: Bierce Technical Services Limited is at 4 Archer's Court, Stukeley Road, Huntingdon PE29 6XG: telephone 01480 445080: fax 01480 445093: www.bierce.co.uk