A FENCING company is steeling itself for expansion to cope with a boom in business.

Kidderminster concrete, timber and steel fencing firm, Roc Fencing, is expanding its premises and taking on more staff after securing a contract with Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council.

The contract to supply steel fencing began at the end of January and the extra workload has encouraged the company to take on the unit next door and employ five new members of staff.

Roc, which currently employs 12 people, also plans to extensively refurbish the existing offices as part of the project.

Tony Fletcher, proprietor, said: "We need a new unit to house the wood department and we are expanding the engineering side and concrete works. We are hoping for bigger profits and more efficiency to the customer."

"We needed to do this, we were a little overcrowded and cramped anyway," he added.

Mr Fletcher set up Roc Fencing, on the Firs Industrial Estate on Oldington Lane, in 1986 to manufacture concrete fencing.

"The company then moved into timber and - more recently - steel, after taking over JE Engineering six years ago. All the materials are still manufactured on the premises."

The firm has a wide customer base with a number of organisations, including Wyre Forest District Council, but it is not just an industrial retailer - 35 per cent of the work is domestic fencing.

Mr Fletcher said: "Part of our success is down to the fact that we advertise extensively. We have also recently started a website at www.rocfencing.co.uk."