Kier Group

Infobox Company
company_name = Kier Group plc
company_
company_type = Public (lse|KIE)
foundation = Circa 1920
location = Sandy, Bedfordshire,England
key_people = Peter Warry, Chairman
John Dodds, CEO
industry = Construction, Civil engineering
products =
revenue = £2,127.9 million (2007)
operating_income = £77.9 million (2007)
net_income = £56.3 million (2007)
num_employees = 9,425 (2007)
parent =
subsid =
homepage = [http://www.kier.co.uk www.kier.co.uk]
slogan = Working together for growth
footnotes =

Kier Group plc is a business active in construction and civil engineering as well as mining and property development. It is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

History

The company was founded by Olaf Kier, a Danish engineer, in the 1920s. [cite web |url=http://www.iii.co.uk/articles/articledisplay.jsp?article_id=9914238&section=ShareTips |title=Buy Kier Group |publisher=Interactive Investor |date=2008-04-14 |accessdate=2008-08-18] On November 16 1973, J. L. Kier, as it became known, merged with W. C. French, another contractor, to form French Kier Holdings [cite web |url=http://www.actuaries.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/25283/0109-0113.pdf |title=Notes on "Financial Times"-Actuaries Index in 1973 |author=J. C. H. Brumwell |date=1974-12-31 |publisher=The Actuarial Profession |accessdate=2008-08-18 |format=pdf] and in 1986, French Kier was acquired by Beazer PLC. [cite web |url=http://www.actuaries.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/24785/0143-0152.pdf |title=Notes on "Financial Times"-Actuaries Equity Share Indices Index in 1986 |author=J. C. H. Brumwell |date=1987-12-31 |publisher=The Actuarial Profession |accessdate=2008-08-18 |format=pdf] In 1991, Hanson plc bought Beazer PLC [cite web |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE3D71E3DF934A2575AC0A967958260 |title=COMPANY NEWS; Hanson to Buy Beazer In $609 Million Deal |author=Jonathan P. Hicks |publisher="The New York Times" |date=1991-09-17 |accessdate=2008-08-18] and immediately decided to dispose of its contracting business. The contracting business was the subject of a management buyout from Hanson in 1992 [cite web |url=http://www.contractjournal.com/Articles/1994/04/07/32122/buy-out-yes.-sell-out-no.html |title=Buy out, yes. Sell out, no |publisher="Contract Journal" |date=1994-04-07 |accessdate=2008-08-18] and became listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1996.

Operations

The company has five divisions: Construction, Support Services, Residential, Property and Project Investments. These are further split into smaller divisions. [cite web |url=http://www.kier.co.uk/about/structure.asp |title=Organisational Structure |publisher=Kier Group plc |accessdate=2008-08-18]

Major projects

Projects involving the company have included the Lesotho Highlands Water Project completed in 1998, [cite web |url=http://www.thecornerhouse.org.uk/item.shtml?x=52182#appendix-01-01-00-00 |title=The Lesotho Highland Water Development Project - What Went Wrong? - The Companies |author=Nicholas Hildyard |publisher=The Corner House |date=2002-07-10 |accessdate=2008-08-18] Hairmyres Hospital completed in 2001 [cite web |url=http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/1069/0005223.pdf |title=PFI Data Sheet - Hairmyres Hospital |publisher=Government of Scotland |accessdate=2008-08-18 |format=pdf] and Snowhill Phase 2, in Birmingham, now nearing completion. [cite web |url=http://www.kier.co.uk/media/details.asp?n=794 |title=Kier Build secures £66m Snow Hill contract |publisher=Kier Group plc |date=2007-01-15 |accessdate=2008-08-18]

References

External links

* [http://www.kier.co.uk Official site]
* [http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=KIE.L Yahoo profile]