Pictured: (l-r) Bill Devitt from Chantrey Vellacott DFK with Coleman & Company finance director Lesley Morris

Midlands demolition specialists Coleman & Company has created new jobs in Birmingham with the launch of a new arm of the business. 

The Great Barr-based firm has invested £500,000 in its new specialist cutting division and has expanded with support from business advisors and accountants Chantrey Vellacott DFK.

The expansion has led to the creation of 11 new jobs while the firm, which will celebrate 50 years of trading in 2012, is also taking on new trainees and investing in green technology. 

Coleman & Company group chairman David Coleman said the concrete cutting arm of the business, which is headed up by Chris Eaton, was born out of its work on phase one of the redevelopment of Birmingham New Street Station.

"This is an exciting new venture for the group and stems from the project at New Street Station," he said.

"The job is obviously very complex and as in contrast to many of the full demolition projects we work on involves us cutting away a lot of materials, 99 per cent of which can be recycled.

"The project is going extremely well, and rather than using contractors to carry out the concrete cutting side of the work, we decided the time was right to diversify into this new area."

The launch comes hot on the heels of the company winning the Contract of the Year accolade at the World Demolition Awards, and caps a strong end to 2011. 

Coleman added: "It was fantastic to win the top prize for our work at New Street, and to also win an award for the work we've done on the A404 Railway Bridge in Maidenhead. "

"We are pleased with the growth we've achieved over the last 12 months and while many businesses are being forced to cut staff numbers we are actively looking to bring in new trainees from the local area. 

"We are also investing heavily in solar power technology at our headquarters in Birmingham so, despite the challenging times we are operating in, we remain very positive about our position and the outlook for the year ahead."

Bill Devitt, partner at Chantrey Vellacott DFK's Birmingham office on Calthorpe Road, has worked closely with Coleman and finance director Lesley Morris over the last four years and said the business is well positioned to grow even further.

"Coleman & Company is a shining example of a business which has built solid foundations in the Midlands and expanded when the time was right for the business," he said.

"The company has operations running across the country and now employs close to 150 people and is well placed to build on this growth with the launch of the concrete cutting arm of the business. "

"I've known David and Lesley for many years and am pleased Chantrey Vellacott DFK has been able to support this continued expansion and look forward to working with the company during its 50th year of trading."