MCCARTHY and Stone, the Bournemouth company that dominates the retirement house-building market, says it wants to get local builders to join its supply chain.

The developer is seeking new contractors and sub-contractors throughout the south through a partnership with a new online portal.

McCarthy & Stone’s southern region has teamed with Copronet, a portal for bringing leading developers together with sub-contractors.

Contractors can register for free for the opportunity to work with McCarthy & Stone and other developers, enabling the developer to quickly assess the contractor’s suitability for projects.

Shane Paull, regional managing director for McCarthy and Stone, said: “We are committed to creating employment opportunities for the local workforce in and around the areas where we are building new retirement communities.

“McCarthy and Stone Southern are therefore delighted to have joined forces with Copronet – not least because this partnership will make it easier for local contractors to secure work with McCarthy & Stone. “The construction industry needs to work more collaboratively and this is a fantastic example where we have worked hand-in-hand with Copronet’s free platform to develop a solution for contractors in the Dorset area.”

Contractors can apply to work with McCarthy and Stone across sites in Swindon, Southampton, Thatcham, Basingstoke, Bridport and Dorchester.

David Stapleton, co-founder and chief executive of Copronet, said: “We have designed a construction industry network platform that puts technology into the hands of businesses of all sizes, helping them to work smarter.

“Registration is free and easy and I would encourage contractors to sign up as McCarthy and Stone want to grow their supply chain with locally-based firms and trades.”

Details are at mccarthyandstone.copronet.com