Laing O'Rourke

Laing O'Rourke
Private limited company
Industry Construction, Civil Engineering
Founded 1978
Headquarters Dartford, United Kingdom
Key people
Ray O'Rourke KBE
(Chairman and CEO)
Revenue £2,513.2 million (2015/16)[1]
£(168.8) million (2015/16)[1]
£(219.9) million (2015/16)[1]
Number of employees
15,234 (2015/16)[1]
Website www.laingorourke.com

Laing O'Rourke is a multinational construction company headquartered in Dartford, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1978 by Ray O'Rourke. It is the largest privately owned construction company in the UK.[2]

History

The company was founded by Ray O'Rourke in 1978. It was originally based in east London and was known as R. O'Rourke & Son.[3] In 2001 R. O'Rourke bought Laing Construction from John Laing plc for £1. Laing's construction business had been making significant losses, in part due to additional costs on the Cardiff Millennium Stadium project. The name of the company was changed to Laing O'Rourke.[4]

In 2004 the company acquired Crown House Engineering, a mechanical & electrical engineering business, from Carillion.[5] Laing O'Rourke went on to expand its operations in Australia in 2006 when it acquired Barclay Mowlem, also from Carillion.[6] On 11 January 2016 Laing O'Rourke announced that it had begun the formal sale process of selling its Australian business. This was a result of multiple unsolicited offers and a desire to invest more heavily in the company's UK operations.[7]

Operations

Laing O'Rourke has operations in two major geographic hubs, Europe and Australia. European operations span Abu Dhabi, Canada, Dubai and the United Kingdom. Australian operations cover Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and South East Asia [8] The company operates in building construction, infrastructure construction, investment & development, modular manufacturing, engineering expertise and support services.[9] Its projects span a range of sectors including, building, transport, power, water & utilities, mining & natural resources and oil & gas .[10]

Major projects

The new Ascot stand built by Laing O'Rourke to a design by Populous and Buro Happold; Completed 2006.
The company's tower cranes rebuilding Royal Ascot.

Major projects involving the Company have included;

Controversies

Laing O'Rourke and its 2004 acquisition, Crown House, were revealed as subscribers to the UK's Consulting Association, exposed in 2009 for operating an illegal construction industry blacklist. Laing O'Rourke was later one of eight businesses involved in the 2014 launch of the Construction Workers Compensation Scheme,[30] condemned as a "PR stunt" by the GMB union, and described by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee as "an act of bad faith".[31]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Laing O’Rourke. "Annual Review 2016" (PDF). Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  2. Top 100 construction Companies The Construction Index
  3. Laing O'Rourke: History
  4. Laing shares half in value BBC News, 27 September 2001.
  5. Laing O'Rourke agrees to £17m deal to buy out Crown House Contract Journal, 19 May 2004
  6. Carillion sells Barclay Mowlem to Laing O'Rourke Australia for £30m Contract Journal, 3 July 2006
  7. Group Announcement: Potential divestment of Australian business Laing O'Rourke, 11 January 2016
  8. "Where We Work". Laing O’Rourke. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  9. "What We Do". Laing O’Rourke. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  10. "Our Sectors". Laing O’Rourke. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  11. Ascot wins its race to redevelop the course The Times, 11 June 2006
  12. Queen opens new Heathrow terminal BBC, 14 March 2008
  13. Darwin Convention Centre
  14. IAQ Handbook
  15. UK giant Laing O'Rourke denies ME withdrawal Construction Weekly, 10 June 2010
  16. What next for Laing O'Rourke? Britain's most secretive contractor Building, 5 November 2010
  17. "One Hyde Park, Knightsbridge Flats". e-architect. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  18. Laing O’Rourke begins London Gateway dredging NCE, 17 March 2010
  19. O’Rourke to start Cheesegrater next month Construction Enquirer, 2 August 2011
  20. Laing O'Rourke/Ferrovial sign £800m Terminal 2 deal CN Plus, 15 March 2010
  21. O’Rourke wins prized £350m superlab contract Construction Enquirer, 2 March 2011
  22. O’Rourke signs £1.27bn deal for Canadian hospital Construction Enquiror, 25 February 2011
  23. "Laing O’Rourke and Ryder appointed to build £200m Dumfries Royal Infirmary". Urban Realm. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  24. "TfL awards £300M Bond Street contract to Costain/Laing O'Rourke JV". New Civil Engineer. 4 August 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  25. Aldar Al Raha Beach sees first contract Arabian Business, 16 July 2011
  26. "Glan Clwyd Hospital Redevelopment". Premier Construction News. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  27. "Next step for Northern Line Extension". Wandsworth Council. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  28. Laing O'Rourke/Bouygues lands £2bn Hinkley nuclear prize Construction News, 19 June 2012
  29. "O’Rourke starts work on £420m Brighton hospital". Construction Enquirer. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  30. "Construction blacklist compensation scheme opens". BBC News: Business. BBC. 4 July 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  31. "Scottish Affairs - Seventh Report Blacklisting in Employment: Final Report". www.parliament.uk. Scottish Affairs Select Committee. Retrieved 7 September 2015.

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