THE southern division of a national construction firm is celebrating after winning £46m of new contracts to boost business in the south coast region.

Midas Group’s southern division is managing major new contracts including building a £9m luxury Next Home and Garden Centre at Hedge End, and a £7m project to build a 72-bed care home for the elderly in the city.

It is also building a £800,000 electrical substation in the Port of Southampton for Associated British Ports to service the next generation of super-sized container ships, and a £3.6m extension to its distribution warehouse adjacent to Dock Gate 20.

Extra jobs The firm has increased its regional team by 17 full-time and three short-term staff since the start of the year.

It is also committed to delivering 13 work placement opportunities to introduce 14 to 19-year-olds to the construction industry, a minimum of eight curriculum support sessions with universities and colleges, five new apprentice stars, and ten supported employment opportunities for people receiving help from local authorities to get them in the workplace.

Paul Strachan, divisional director for the Midas Southern region, said: “We are seeing substantial and continued growth in the south coast market, and to have such a healthy pipeline of new orders in the first quarter of our 2013/2014 financial year is fantastic.

“There has been a 50 per cent increase in enquiries to our southern offices which continue to translate into new, secured contracts and subsequently we are creating more and more jobs in the region.

“Our pre-construction delivery teams are at their busiest levels for five years, and the forward pipeline of opportunities and secured work is looking strong well into 2014.”