Laing O ’ Rourke is a privatelyowned , internationally-focussed engineering enterprise . It operates an integrated business model which covers engineering , construction and asset management . John Laing founded a construction business in 1848 which rose to fame in 1919 by building houses for WWI veterans , and in 1956 it completed the world ’ s first commercial-grade electricitygenerating nuclear power station . In 1978 , R O ’ Rourke and Son was founded and expanded from a

concrete specialist to an international construction and engineering business which went on to work on London ’ s Canary Wharf development in 1990 , delivering among others the Citigroup building . In 2001 , the two companies amalgamated and have since worked on the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic park . Under current CEO Ray O ’ Rourke , the company was awarded $ 5.3bn worth of non-residential contracts in Australia in 2015-16 , and currently employs 15,234 people .

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