Kier has been named Sembcorp Bournemouth Water’s (SBW) new delivery partner for its £3.5m per annum AMP6 planned and reactive maintenance programme.

The contract is for two years with a potential five-year extension, and the scope of Kier’s work will include repair and maintenance, mains laying and meter installation.

A new customer for Kier, SBW selected the company for its experience and award-winning customer service, which complements SBW’s own achievements in this area, having received Customer Service Excellence awards for the past 14 years.

The introduction of Kier as SBW’s new delivery partner will be seamless and customers will see the new, jointly-branded livery on Kier’s vehicles and employee uniforms in the coming weeks as the contract mobilises.

Roger Harrington, SBW’s managing director, said that having a first-class delivery partner was essential to the company’s business and he was very pleased to introduce Kier to customers in this capacity.

He added: "Kier’s experience and reputation in the industry are considerable, but more importantly, their approach to customer service is aligned to ours, which will ensure service delivery excellence for our customers."

This latest contract win further demonstrates Kier’s position as a major player in the water and utilities industries.

Toby Harding, Kier’s operations director for utilities in the south, commented:

"We are delighted to have been selected as SBW’s new delivery partner. We have a strong nationwide presence in the utility sector, working with a wide range of water clients.  So we are confident that our extensive knowledge of the industry, our award-winning approach to customer care and our focus on working collaboratively will ensure the success of this planned and reactive maintenance programme."

SBW supplies drinking water to nearly half a million people from Poole and Bournemouth in the west, along the coastal fringe to Beaulieu in the east, and north to parts of Salisbury.