Laing O'Rourke turnover breaks £1.5bn barrier

Turnover in Laing O’Rourke, the rapidly growing construction empire, has now pushed beyond the £1.5bn barrier and the profit margins has climbed to close to 4%.

Financial figures for the 12 months to 31 March show that turnover of £1.5bn (£1.3bn) generated a pre-tax ptofit of £61m (£44m).

Plant hire took top prize of the group’s three operating divisions, with operating profit more than doubling to £12m.

Geographically, most business is still within the UK, though workload in the Middle East – notably Oman and the United Arab Emirates – rose to £103m, while European assignments accounted for a further £85m-worth of business.

O’Rourke rewarded its staff with a £11m-worth of bonuses, well ahead of the £3m figure the previous year.