Cathedral Works Organisation (CWO), the Chichester-based stone specialist subsidiary of the Osborne construction group, have appointed Steve Cassidy as business development manager.

Steve has had 15 years experience in the stone and restoration industry and during that time has worked on some of the country\'s finest historic buildings.

His career began at the Mowlem stone and conservation subsidiary Rattee & Kett in Cambridgeshire, where he started as an apprentice draughtsman working on the restoration of Westminster Abbey.

He spent six years on the project and his contribution included detailing and surveying the intricate stonemasonry of the Henry VII Chapel, as well as supervising staff and pricing.

While working at the Abbey he gained a BSc in Building Surveying from Anglia Polytechnic University, based in Chelmsford and Cambridge.

Since then he has worked on the restoration projects at Ely and Newcastle cathedrals, Richmond House in Whitehall and many Cambridge colleges, working for specialist firms Rattee & Kett and Gilbert & Turnbull.

Now, as business development manager for CWO, Steve will consolidate the company\'s current position and start to expand the business geographically.

He says: "Initially we want to make sure we can maintain the business at the level it is now, but then my job is to see what opportunities are available to move CWO to the next level. We will be targeting work in London and will be working more closely with Osborne\'s building and civil engineering divisions already based in the capital."

CWO have worked in London previously and last year received recognition in the Natural Stone Awards for the Commonwealth Memorial on Constitution Hill they built. It is a monument comprising four Portland stone pillars. It was erected in memory of soldiers from the Commonwealth who fought in the First and Second World Wars.