A FAMILY-RUN building maintenance business has strengthened its workforce.

Stone Technical Services Group (STS), in Darlington, has appointed Andy Hatton as contracts manager, who previously worked as a junior manager in its lighting division.

Mr Hatton, from Billingham, near Stockton, joined the firm as an on-site trainee engineer in 2012.

The company has also recruited lightning protection engineer Adam Batley.

Bosses say their workforce now stands at 37, and hope to increase the number to 40 by the end of the year.

STS, which previously carried out work on St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace, has four divisions - STS Lightning Protection, STS Restoration, STS Maintenance and Facilities Management and STS Conservation.

Dave Stone, STS’ managing director, said: “We only ever recruit the best and put our team through a thorough training and induction process to add to their skills and experience.

“We also place a lot of emphasis on promoting in-house staff who have shown dedication to our business so we’re really pleased with Andy’s progress and are keen to see him develop in his new role.”

Earlier this year, STS announced its most successful first quarter of its 15-year history after achieving £1m in new contracts during the first three months of the 2014, which it’s hoped will boost the business’s turnover by about 50 per cent over the next 12 months.