Johns Lyng Group’s appointment to a QBE building repair services panel will be “a key plank” in its geographic expansion.

It has been added to a panel for work on commercial and domestic properties in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and the NT under a three-year contract, with an option to extend for a further two.

The contract is the fourth it has signed with a major national insurer in the past six months, as it expands its national operations.

“QBE has been a leading insurance provider on a global scale for quite some years and so to be confirmed as one of its preferred suppliers is another big win for us,” CEO Scott Didier said.

“This contract will form a key plank of our ongoing geographic expansion and overall growth strategy.”

Mr Didier says the core business performed strongly in the financial year’s first half, with a 15.6% increase in “business as usual” earnings.

QBE last year called on building repairers to express their interest in providing services as it undertook a strategic review of its network.

The insurer says it has since appointed more than 40 specialist building service repair suppliers across various rural and metropolitan areas.

QBE this month also launched a tender for the provision of restoration and mitigation services across Australia for personal and commercial lines. Expressions of interest closed two weeks ago and the new panel is expected to be in place by the end of July, a QBE spokeswoman told insuranceNEWS.com.au.