Laing O’Rourke

Laing O’Rourke’s chief financial officer (CFO) is set to leave the firm to join a FTSE 100 plastic products manufacturer. Rowan Baker, who joined Laing O’Rourke as its finance lead in 2020, will join Essentra Plc as CFO on 5 November. Her departure from the UK’s biggest privately-owned construction firm…

He may have spent 13 years running Laing O’Rourke’s operations in Australia, but Cathal O’Rourke’s accent does not have an Aussie twang. He has been at the helm of the UK’s biggest private contractor since July, when he took over from his father, Ray O'Rourke, who founded the firm back…

Contractor Laing O’Rourke has returned to a strong profit as inflation eased across Europe. In the year to 31 March 2024, the firm tabled a pre-tax profit of £40m, a year after it reported a £288.1m pre-tax loss due to inflation, project delays and a legacy contract in Australia that…

Six major contractors, including Kier and Laing O’Rourke, have been named as part of an alliance to create 16,000 bed spaces for the Armed Forces. Kier scooped two places in the alliance, in separate joint ventures with modular firm McAvoy Group and steel construction specialist Metek. Laing O’Rourke, Bowmer and…

All four companies served with warning notices by the nuclear regulator over fire-safety failures at Hinkley Point C have now made the improvements required of them, it has been announced. The four firms were served with the notices in relation to fire safety at the under-construction nuclear plant in January.…

Laing O’Rourke co-founder and deputy chair Des O’Rourke has died aged 75.  O’Rourke died on Wednesday (17 July) following a brief illness, according to a statement published by the company.  The statement said: “It is with deep sadness that Des O’Rourke’s family confirm his passing. “Des had been ill for…

Laing O’Rourke has announced that group chief executive Ray O’Rourke is to step down and hand over to his son. The tier one contractor announced today that the man who has run the firm since founding it in 1977 had given notice to the board of his intention to depart.…

Laing O’Rourke can continue with a claim for breach of contract against an adviser it employed on a defective PFI mental health hospital, a judge has ruled. The contractor is suing consultant Sweett for £20.4m over independent testing work carried out by cost and management firm Nisbet, which Sweett acquired…

National Grid has appointed five contractors including Laing O’Rourke and Morgan Sindall to deliver £9bn of work on its major upgrade of the electricity network. Morrison Energy Services, Murphy and a joint venture of Vinci subsidiaries Taylor Woodrow and Omexom complete the construction team for the Great Grid Partnership. They…

Laing O'Rourke is in line to build a major new facility as part of a £200m upgrade of health infrastructure in West Yorkshire. The contractor was named as preferred partner to deliver the design stage of a four-storey clinical building at Calderdale Royal Hospital. A new accident and emergency department…