Annual turnover at Portbury-based Astron Fire & Security is set to increase by 25% after it won a contract linked to the £18bn Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant project now underway in Somerset.
Under the deal family-run Astron will install fire extinguishers and CCTV cameras to the on-site accommodation at Hinkley Point near Bridgwater that will house 500 contractors working on the massive construction project – one of the largest in Europe. 
The firm will also undertake annual maintenance of the fire alarm, intruder alarm and CCTV systems for the next eight years.
The contract follows on from a similar deal landed by the eight-year-old firm at the Sedgemoor Campus in Bridgwater, which will accommodate a further 1,000 contractors working at Hinkley Point C from next month.
Astron has joined a growing list of businesses ranging from civil engineering firms to hotels, recruitment agencies and transport and property suppliers to be land contracts linked to Hinkley Point C.
In total, the project is estimated to have already brought work worth £1.3bn to the region.
Astron, which delivers fire and security services such as fire alarms, CCTV and access control to commercial and residential customers across the South West and South Wales, won the Hinkley contract with support from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.
The firm secured a £90,000 specialist infrastructure loan, which has been designed to help small firms access supply chain opportunities and to fulfil larger contracts. The funds have been used to cover the wages of an extra on-site engineer, a new van to transport equipment and £20,000 worth of laptops for its engineers.
Astron Fire & Security director Greg Van Laun, pictured above, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to be involved in a large-scale project like Hinkley Point C. Not only does this expose our engineers to large-scale, national developments, but allows us to grow our professional network.
“The funding has been invaluable and, in many ways, a stepping stone for us to engage in a big-name project. The team at Lloyds Bank fully understood what we were trying to achieve and we look forward to working with them again in the future.”
Lloyds Bank South West relationship manager for SME banking, Craig Driscoll, added: “Greg and the team at Astron Fire & Security have an outstanding local reputation for high-quality service, and most of their referrals are purely from word of mouth. This gleaming reputation is what is winning them substantial contracts such its latest one with Hinkley Point C.
“We are committed to helping Britain prosper by supporting ambitious businesses like Astron Fire & Security.”
Lloyds Bank launched its £100m fund to help small businesses take advantage of supply chain opportunities in the construction of EDF Energy’s Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset.
