The Stewart Milne Group will launch nine new developments in the comings months as it marks its 40th anniversary year.

The housebuilder and timber systems manufacturer was established in May 1975 and now develops new homes across Scotland and the north-west of England.

The anniversary year will see new home developments launched at Inverness and Stonehaven in the north of Scotland, Bonnyrigg, Dunblane, East Calder and Winchburgh in central Scotland, and at Malpas and Northwich in north-west England.

The Stewart Milne Group is one of only 15 housebuilders in the UK to be awarded five star status by the industry this year. Its continued commitment to quality and customer care saw it awarded the top accolade by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) for the fourth year running. The independent industry award recognises the 90 per cent customer satisfaction rating achieved across the Group’s housing divisions in north and central Scotland and north-west England.

The Group, which remains a privately owned business, is implementing ambitious growth plans across its homes and timber systems divisions and expects to increase its full-time workforce from 800 to 1,050 during the course of the year.

Stewart Milne, who founded the company in Aberdeen in 1975, continues to take a leading role in the business today as its executive chairman. Commenting at the start of a year of celebrations to mark 40 years in business, Mr Milne said that it had remained core to its founding principles.

“Trust, quality and passion have been values that we have held dear from the very beginning and they remain at the very heart of the business today 40 years on from our start in 1975. We have come a long way over the decades and we are enormously proud that today we are at the forefront of housebuilding and construction in the UK – creating new homes that meet the highest quality standards and bringing innovative timber systems to the market,” said Mr Milne.

“Marking our 40th anniversary over the next 12 months gives us the opportunity to celebrate our people, who have driven the business forward and continue to ensure that we set ourselves challenging targets and grow. Their commitment, passion and attention to detail are central to our success and I am proud of what we have achieved together and what we aim to achieve in the years ahead.

“We work in a dynamic environment and the inspirational drive within the business is part of our strong company culture and work ethic. It ensures that I have just as much energy and passion for what we do as I did 40 years ago,” said Mr Milne.