Steelwork contractor appoints senior director

Mr Griffiths is currently chair of Severfield's remuneration committee and joined the board in 2014.

Kevin Whiteman, chairman of Severfield, said: "I am delighted that Alun Griffiths has agreed to become thesenior independent director at Severfield.

"Our board and other stakeholders will continue to benefit from Alun’s wide-ranging experience and insight."

Last month Severfield said it was cautiously optimistic about the 2021 financial year despite the current market uncertainty caused by Covid-19.

The Thirsk-based group said its optimism stemmed from the strength of its order book, an encouraging pipeline of opportunities, a strong balance sheet position, its expertise in managing complex projects and its long-standing client relationships.

The firm told shareholders at its AGM: "We continue to be well-placed to win work in the diverse range of market sectors and geographies in which we operate and across a wide client base, providing us with extra resilience and the ability to increase our market share."

The board recommended a final dividend for the year to March 31 of 1.8p per share, making a total for the year of 2.9p per share, up from 2.8p last year.

Severfield's chief executive, Alan Dunsmore, said the dividend payment reflected the board's confidence in the future.

The firm said its UK and European factories are fully operational, all construction sites are open and underlying operations are performing well.

Severfield recently completed its work on the redevelopment of Lords Cricket Ground (the Compton and Edrich stands) and it is now working on a number of high profile contracts, including the new Google Headquarters at King’s Cross.