Laing O'Rourke has acquired Glass Reinforced Concrete UK Ltd (GRCUK), one of the country's leading specialists in bespoke architectural glass reinforced concrete (GRC) products, making it a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Group.

Established in 2009 and based in South Yorkshire, GRCUK initially supplied the house building sector with architectural components. However with the rapid growth in demand for glass reinforced concrete on large construction projects by influential architects like Norman Foster and Zaha Hadid, as well as the corresponding erosion in the traditional pre-cast concrete architectural cladding market by 25%, GRCUK experienced rapid growth to emerge as a top three manufacturer and supplier to the UK construction industry.

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The acquisition further strengthens Laing O'Rourke's manufacturing portfolio, allowing the Group to deliver specialist engineering contracts that require complex spray process GRC to meet the demanding quality and performance characteristics on large building and infrastructure projects. It has significant benefits over traditional pre-cast concrete including reduction in dead load weight, more environmentally friendly to manufacture and transport, faster and easier to install, and greater design optionality.

Over the next few months the firm will be working to integrate the GRCUK operations into its existing stable of manufacturing facilities, and to ensure it maximises the benefits to enhance Laing O'Rourke's position as an industry leader in offsite construction.

(CD/JP)