Laing O'Rourke Opens New Northern HQ As Local Growth Continues

Laing O’Rourke, one of the world’s largest privately owned construction and engineering companies, has reaffirmed its commitment to the and north and northwest of England, investing in a new office facility at City Gate in South Manchester.

The new office, opening 2 October, sees the company transition from Birley Fields to the new corporate site, which better reflects current operating requirements and the regional spread of hundreds of staff.

Laing O’Rourke is working on a number of significant projects across the region, including:

• Construction delivery partner for the £570m Terminal 2 Transformation Programme as part of Manchester Airports Group’s ten-year £1 billion pound investment in the development of Manchester Airport
• Delivery partner on the University of Manchester’s capital programme framework, delivering projects such as the new £30m Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre, and the major structural package on the new Mechanical Engineering Campus Development, whilst also operating as preferred bidder on the £75 million Henry Royce Institute
• Extending Manchester’s tram service through the Metrolink joint venture
• Other projects currently at bid and contract phase
• Ongoing focus on the business’s unique Explore Industrial Park at Worksop, and the delivery of specialised, manufactured components to increase construction productivity

Laing O’Rourke has delivered a number of high profile, iconic projects in the region, such as The CIS Tower, The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester’s Town Hall Complex Transformation Programme, Manchester Metrolink and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

Laing O’Rourke’s Tom Higgins said around 100 staff would relocate to the new HQ, which would also serve as a corporate hub for the multiple local project teams based on site, including the team at the Manchester Airport Transformation project, which is located 6 miles from the new office and will have over 200 people in the site office at peak. “We have a strong order book, with an outstanding pipeline of future projects. Our new office provides us with a strong base to support hundreds of people in the field every day, delivering certainty for our clients.”
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Dean Richards, leasing director for Orbit Developments commented on the deal: “After strategic review by Laing O’Rourke, it was clear Citygate in Sale fitted the bill perfectly due to the immediate access to the M60 motorway. Manchester city centre can be accessed within 15 minutes by car and the town benefits from Metrolink services and ample amenities for employees and visitors alike. We’re pleased to welcome a highly regarded international business and local employer like Laing O’Rourke to this site, and wish them all the best for the future.”