OFT accuses over 100 firms of bid rigging

The Office of Fair Trading has released publicly a list of 112 contractors it accuses of colluding over bid pricing (full list below).

Each of the firms, among them Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Willmott Dixon, Kier, Morgan Ashurst and Galliford Try has been sent a Statement of Objections outlining evidence of collusion during the procurement of construction contracts estimated to be worth up to £3bn.

Although the list was not available when the three weeklies went to press, each ran stories warning of its implications. Construction News (CN) reported on contractors' attempts to persuade the OFT to hold back from going public with the list in an attempt to prevent damage to the reputations of innocent contractors.

Building magazine said those on the list could risk losing valuable public sector work as clients try to distance themselves from involvement with the potential guilty. Specifically it said the Highways Agency, which spends over £1bn with the industry each year, was investigating the involvement of its contractors.

The firms now have just 10 weeks to contest the allegations before the OFT decides whether they are guilty. Those found guilty of cover pricing and bid rigging may be fined up to 10% of UK turnover, which could amount to as much as £300m for some.

Companies issued with the Statement of Objections are:

1. A. H. Willis & Sons Limited

2. ARG (Mansfield) Limited

3. Ackroyd & Abbott Limited together with its subsidiary Ackroyd & Abbott Construction Limited

4. Adam Eastwood & Sons Limited together with its controlling party the Sir John Eastwood Foundation

5. Admiral Construction Limited together with (for alleged infringements from 31 October 2003) its ultimate parent company A C Holdings Limited

6. Adonis Construction Limited

7. Allenbuild Limited and Bullock Construction Limited together with their ultimate parent company Renew Holdings plc

8. Apollo Property Services Group Limited formerly known as Apollo London Limited together with its former ultimate parent company Apollo Holdco Limited formerly known as Apollo Group Holdings Limited

9. Arthur M. Griffiths & Sons Limited

10. B & A Construction (Leicester) Limited

11. Baggaley & Jenkins Limited

12. Balfour Beatty Construction Limited, Balfour Beatty Refurbishment Limited, and Balfour Beatty Group Limited (for alleged infringements from 2000 onwards) and Mansell Construction Services Limited (for alleged infringements from 19 December 2003), together with their current ultimate parent company Balfour Beatty plc. For alleged infringements involving Mansell prior to 19 December 2003, Mansell and its former ultimate parent company Mansell plc

13.Ballast Nedam N.V. as the ultimate parent company of its dissolved subsidiary Ballast plc

14.Beaufort Construction (S-in-A) Limited together with its ultimate parent company Beaufort Holdings U.K. Limited

15.Bodill & Sons (Contractors) Limited

16.Bowmer & Kirkland Limited together with its subsidiaries B & K Building Services Limited and B & K Property Services Limited

17.Bramall Construction Limited and Frank Haslam Milan & Company Limited together with their current ultimate parent company Keepmoat Limited, formerly known as Keepmoat plc

18.C. J. Ellmore & Company Limited

19.Caddick Construction Limited together with its ultimate parent company Caddick Group plc

20.Carillion JM Limited

21.Chase Norton Construction Limited together with its ultimate parent company Chase Midland plc

22.Clegg Construction Limited together with its ultimate parent company Clegg Group Limited formerly known as D E Clegg Holdings Limited

23.Connaught Partnerships Limited together with its ultimate parent company Connaught plc

24.Crown Point Maintenance Group Limited as the ultimate parent company of its dissolved subsidiary Greenwood Building Contractors (Mansfield) Limited, for Greenwood's alleged infringements after 11 June 2002

25.Davlyn Construction Limited

26.Derwent Valley Construction Limited together with its ultimate parent company Chevin Holdings Limited

27.Dukeries Building Company Limited together with its ultimate parent company Gavco 159 Limited

28.Durkan Pudelek Limited together with its ultimate parent company Durkan Holdings Limited

29.E. G. Carter & Company Limited

30.E. Manton Limited

31.E. Taylor & Sons (Southwell) Limited, trading as Carmalor Construction

32.F. Parkinson Limited together with its ultimate parent company Mowbray Holdings Limited

33.Francis Construction Limited together with its ultimate parent company Barrett Estates Services Limited

34.Frank Galliers Limited together with its former ultimate parent company Frank Galliers Holdings Limited

35.Frudd Construction Limited

36.GAJ Construction Limited together with its current ultimate parent company GAJ (Holdings) Limited

37.G Carter Construction Limited

38.G. F. Tomlinson Building Limited together with its ultimate parent company G. F. Tomlinson Group Limited

39.G G Middleton and Sons Limited

40.G. & J. Seddon Limited together with its ultimate parent company Seddon Group Limited

41.GMI Construction Group plc together with (for alleged infringements after 6 February 2005) its current ultimate parent company GMI Construction Holdings plc

42.Geo Houlton & Sons Limited together with its ultimate parent company Geo Houlton & Sons (Holdings) Limited

43.George Law Limited together with its ultimate parent company Bosworth & Wakeford Limited

44.Greswolde Construction Limited together with its ultimate parent company Mantisson Limited

45.Hall Construction Group Limited

46.Harlow & Milner Limited

47.Harold Adkin & Sons (Sutton-In-Ashfield) Limited

48.Harper Group Construction Limited and J. Harper & Sons (Leominster) Limited together with their ultimate parent company Harper Group plc

49.Haymills (Contractors) Limited together with (for alleged infringements prior to 26 May 2004) its former ultimate parent company Corringway Conclusions plc and (for alleged infringements after 26 May 2004) its current ultimate parent company Haymills Group Limited

50.Henry Boot Construction (UK) Limited together with its ultimate parent company Henry Boot plc

51.Herbert Baggaley Construction Limited together with its ultimate parent company Baggaley Group Limited

52.Hill Bros. (Nottingham) Limited

53.Hobson & Porter Limited

54.Holroyd Construction Limited together with (for alleged infringements prior to 30 March 2005) its former ultimate parent company Holderness Investments Limited and (for alleged infringements after 30 March 2005) its current ultimate parent company Holroyd Construction Group Limited

55.Interclass Public Limited Company together with its ultimate parent company Interclass Holdings Limited

56.Interserve Project Services Limited together with its ultimate parent company Interserve plc

57.Irwins Limited and Jack Lunn (Construction) Limited together with their ultimate parent company Jack Lunn (Holdings) Limited

58.J. Guest Limited

59.J H Hallam (Contracts) Limited together with its ultimate parent company J H Hallam (R & J) Limited

60.J. J. & A. R. Jackson Limited

61.J. J. McGinley Limited, together with its former ultimate parent company McGinley Holdings Limited

62.John Cawley Limited

63.John Sisk & Son Limited together with its ultimate parent company Sicon Limited

64.K. J. Bryan (Builders) Limited

65.Kier Regional Limited together with its ultimate parent company Kier Group plc

66.Lemmeleg Limited together with its ultimate parent company Rok plc

67.Lindum Construction Co. Limited and Lindum Homes Limited together with their ultimate parent company Lindum Group Limited

68.Linford Group Limited together with its ultimate parent company F. & E. V. Linford Limited

69.Loach Construction & Development Limited

70.Lotus Construction Limited

71.Milward Construction (Belper) Limited

72.Morgan Ashurt plc formerly known as Bluestone Plc together with its ultimate parent company Morgan Sindall plc

73.North Midland Construction plc

74.P D H Developments Limited (formerly trading as G. Hurst & Sons (Contractors) Limited) together with its ultimate parent company G. Hurst & Sons Limited

75.P. Casey & Co. Limited together with its current ultimate parent company The Casey Group Limited

76.P. Waller Limited

77.Pearce Construction (Midlands) Limited together with its former ultimate parent company Crest Nicholson plc

78.Peter Baines Limited

79.Phoenix Contracts (Leicester) Limited

80.Piper Construction Midlands Limited together with its ultimate parent company Piper Securities Holdings Limited

81.Propencity Group Limited together with its wholly owned subsidiary companies, ISG Jackson Limited, ISG Regions Limited formerly known as ISG Totty Limited, ISG Totty Building Limited and Propencity Limited

82.Quarmby Construction Company Limited together with its ultimate parent company St James Securities Holdings Limited

83.Quarmby Construction (Special Projects) Limited together with its ultimate parent company Justgrade Limited

84.R Durtnell & Sons Limited together with its ultimate parent company R Durtnell & Sons (Holdings) Limited

85.R. G. Carter Limited, R. G. Carter Building Limited and R. G. Carter Construction Limited together with their current ultimate parent company R. G. Carter Holdings Limited

86.Richardson Projects Limited

87.Robert Bruce Construction Limited

88.Robert Woodhead Limited together with its ultimate parent company Robert Woodhead Holdings Limited

89.Robinson & Sawdon Limited

90.Shaylor Construction Limited

91.Simons Construction Limited and Wrights Construction (Lincoln) Limited together with their ultimate parent company Simons Group Limited

92.Sol Construction Limited together with its ultimate parent company Barkbury Limited

93.Speller-Metcalfe Limited

94.Spicers (Builders) Limited

95.Stainforth Construction Limited

96.Strata Construction Limited (formerly trading as Weaver)

97.T. & C. Williams (Builders) Limited

98.T. Denman & Sons (Melton Mowbray) Limited

99.Thomas Fish & Sons Limited together with its ultimate parent company Fish Holdings Limited

100.Thomas Long & Sons Limited together with its ultimate parent company Radford Holdings Limited

101.Thomas Vale Construction Plc together with its ultimate parent company Thomas Vale Holdings Limited

102.Thorndyke Limited

103.Try Accord Limited and Galliford Try Construction Limited together with their ultimate parent company Galliford Try plc

104.W. R. Bloodworth & Sons Limited

105.Wiggett Bros & Co Limited

106.Wildgoose Construction Limited

107.William Sapcote and Sons Limited together with its ultimate parent company Sapcote Holdings Limited

108.William Woodsend Limited

109.Willmott Dixon Construction Limited together with its ultimate parent company Willmott Dixon Limited

110.Wright (Hull) Limited together with its ultimate parent company T. Wright & Son (Holdings) Limited

111.Wygar Construction Co Limited together with its ultimate parent company Wygar (Holdings) Limited

112.York House Construction Limited