High hopes for contracts at Quadrant

QUADRANT, the Post Office caterer, remains hopeful it will gain greater freedom to compete for contracts on the open market, despite the collapse of Government plans to privatise the Royal Mail.

At present Quadrant is limited to bidding for contracts in the Post Office, public sector and telecommunications industry, a huge market which managing director John Burchell admitted still left plenty of contracts to bid for.

However, he hoped the forthcoming review of Post Office operations would produce greater freedom for its non-core activities.

"The options could include a management buyout, shared ownership or no change," said Mr Burchell.

However, he thought the last option was unlikely: "this isn't a world that seems to stomach ‘no change'."

Quadrant recently passed the 400-contract mark, when it signed deals at the Department of Social Security Benefits Agency in Motherwell, and Glasgow's Buchanan Street bus station (News, 27 October).

Mr Burchell said the company expected to gain a further 10 contracts by the end of its financial year in April.