Ray O'Rourke looking to buy civil engineering contractors

Ray O'Rourke is targeting a number of civil engineering groups as he launches a spending spree that could see a string of buys boost his total annual turnover by a further £2bn.
O'Rourke's reported plan to build a privately-owned empire with a total £5bn-a-year turnover calls for several more moves in addition to Crown House, the M&E business currently owned by Carillion, and his reported bid for Chinese cladding firm Yuanda.
"Ray is eating up the building market by winning so much work in his own right," said a source. "Like in Liverpool - Ray's local team headed up by Graham Lumberg must have got £1bn of work in the bag already.
"But he needs to beef up on the civil side now that Martin Foster and other senior former Laing people have gone.
"If he plans to go for the big road jobs his two options are to head-hunt top individuals or to buy a civil engineering business with a good reputation. O'Rourke hasn't won a top civils contract since Heathrow Terminal 5 and that came with his Laing Construction acquisition."
O'Rourke's appetite could also include players the size of Gleeson or Galliford Try.