Laing O'Rourke buys struggling concrete firm

Laing O’Rourke has sealed a last-minute deal to buy struggling concrete specialist Bison and save 450 jobs.

The firm said today it was part of a consortium of investors which has acquired the majority operations of pre-cast concrete manufacturer Bison after the Staffordshire-based firm appointed receivers PricewaterhouseCoopers earlier today.

Factories in Swadlincote, Derbyshire and Uddingston in Scotland will now be managed by Laing O’Rourke as a result of the deal.

Greg Ward, Laing O’Rourke’s global head of manufacturing, said it was an opportunity for Bison to bounce back quickly from its receivership. “This was a great business, he said, “but it has been swept away by the economic downturn, like so many others in this industry.”