Johns Lyng Group has been added to a QBE building repair services panel for work on commercial and domestic properties in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and the NT.

The agreement, for a three-year period with an option to extend for a further two, follows a tender process launched last year.

Johns Lyng says the new contract is the fourth it has signed with a major national insurer in the past six months, continuing a strong period for the group.

“QBE has been a leading insurance provider on a global scale for quite some years and so to be confirmed as one of their 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 said the group’s core business had performed strongly in the financial first half, with a 15.6% increase in “business as usual” earnings, and the new contract would help further consolidate the growth.

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

The company says it has since appointed more than 40 specialist building service repair suppliers across various rural and metropolitan areas nationwide, with the resulting network now in place.

“As an insurer, our moment of truth comes when our customers face damage to their personal properties or businesses,” QBE EGM – Claims Jon Fox said last year.

“Getting our building repair service network right helps us to deliver for customers in their time of need, so they can get back on their feet sooner.”

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 for that process closed yesterday and the new panel is expected to be in place by the end of July, a QBE spokeswoman told insuranceNEWS.com.au.