Bradford-based joinery firm Abrahams & Carlisle is looking to expand its workforce after another strong start to its trading year.

The Dudley Hill-based family business has clinched orders worth more than £2.5 million for fit-out and joinery projects along with a healthy rise in tendering opportunities for a wide range of jobs.

The influx of new work means the firm is advertising for four skilled joiners to boost its 52-strong workforce and is also considering taking on some more apprentices later in the year.

Company director Jonathan Hemingway said the firm was expanding its operations beyond its traditional client base of pubs, restaurants, hotels and health clubs to focus also on the retail sector.

After attending a ‘meet the buyer’ event for potential suppliers and contractors for the new Westfield Bradford development, now a month into construction, and completing the expression of interest and other required documentation, Abrahams & Carlisle has been added to the Australian developer’s tender list.

The firm has also made it onto the tender list for the JD Group owned by Newcastle United owner Michael Ashley, which includes the JD Sports high street chain.

Mr Ashley also recently acquired a stake in Debenhams, which will have a store in the Westfield site, and is looking to increase its sports goods offering.

Also on the retail front, Abrahams & Carlisle has carried out work at a new Morrisons supermarket due to open in Crawley, Sussex, at Easter, including work on the cafe and offices.

The new orders include providing a range of joinery work at an Asda supermarket in Mosborough, near Sheffield. Mr Hemingway the new orders also included fitting out a Virgin Active health club at Stockley Park, Uxbridge, an extension at The Grove Hotel, Watford and a new restaurant fit out in Doncaster.

He said: “These new orders are hopefully a sign that confidence is returning to the construction sector.

“We had a good start and finish to 2013 but activity dropped back a but during the middle of the year. We hope that the increased orders and tendering opportunities will continue throughout 2014.”

Mr Hemingway said investing £500,000 in buying and converting a building next to its offices into a new workshop, enabling the firm to concentrate work on one site instead of three, had increased Abrahams & Carlisle’s capacity.

He said: “That investment definitely helped us widen the scope of our work and to create more employment locally after a few years during the recession when we were forced to cut our workforce due to the downturn in construction. We’re looking to take on four more joiners immediately and later in the year will decide whether we can add another three school-leavers as apprentice joiners as we did in 2013.

“We’ve had a great start to 2014 winning more work from both new and existing clients.

“The outlook is positive as more companies are looking to increase investment and spend more on jobs.”