Edinburgh construction business accepts crypto currency

Mark Ivinson (left) and Jonny Blurton

EDINBURGH-based construction firm Orocco has announced it is now accepting crypto currency as payment for projects.

The company said the move comes as part of a revised business strategy and sees the firm become the first building company in the UK to adopt such a payment solution for client transactions.

A ‘digital wallet’ has been set up to allow Orocco, which specialises in high-end building and renovation work, to accept Dogecoin, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Stellar and XRP as payment for completed projects.

MD Mark Ivinson explained, “With digital currencies becoming increasingly popular, it’s something I have been thinking about for a while. I have spent some time researching what we could provide and I’m delighted we’ll now have this fast, safe and secure service as part of our offering to clients.

“I do believe things will start to move in that direction and it’s exciting to be at the forefront of it in the construction sector, which is regarded as being very traditional. There has been a lot of discussion recently about crypto currency. It is something I wanted to have as a payment option for clients and it will be a seamless process from start to finish for anyone using this method of paying.

“We’re a very innovative company and this is another example of us always looking to take the firm forward and move the business with the times.”

The crypto currency offering for clients comes after Orocco introduced a permanent four-day working week initiative for employees. All staff now work compressed full-time hours Monday to Thursday, giving them Fridays off and a longer weekend. There is no reduction in the total number of hours spent on a project each week.

Joint MD Jonny Blurton said, “When we spoke to staff after the recent changes that the Covid-19 pandemic had brought to our working lives, it became clear that people enjoyed having that extra time at home, either to catch up on home projects or to spend more time with loved ones. We listened and wanted to make a permanent change to how we work and so far the feedback from staff has been very positive.”