Esh Group has reported a loss for the third year running. The Durham-based contractor suffered a £4.1m pre-tax loss on group revenue of £206.3m in its results to 31 December 2019. This followed a £8.1m loss in 2018 and a £1.1m loss in 2017. The company attributed the latest loss to a restructuring that began in 2018 and finished during 2019. This saw the company withdraw from Scotland and the North West to focus on Yorkshire and the North East and sell an 80 per cent stake in Mechplant (North East) in a management buyout. Esh’s pre-tax profit from its continuing operations in 2019 was £1m. Chief executive Andy Radcliffe (pictured) said the firm is now in a better position. “We now have a business that is leaner, more customer and market-focused, and which is aligned to resilient and robust sectors of the market,” he said. The company now operates with three divisions covering civil engineering, building and facilities maintenance and private house building.