Big money contracts in the offing for two top NI building firms
of Northern Ireland’s leading construction companies have announced major contract wins, worth a combined £38m.
Southern Regional College has appointed O’Hare & McGovern Limited in Newry as the main contractor to build a further education campus in Banbridge, creating 150 jobs on site.
And the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has awarded a £23m contract to Lagan Aviation & Infrastructure, part of Lagan Construction Services, to resurface the runway at RAF Northolt.
The contracts are good news for both companies.
O’Hare & McGovern, led by Eamon O’Hare (inset), recently reported a dip in pre-tax profits for 2017, citing “a challeng- ing business environment”. And four companies within Lagan Construction Group went into administration earlier this year. However, the aviation arm of the business was unaffected.
O’Hare & McGovern’s new 4,500sqm campus in Banbridge will become a specialist hub for digital media and design, promoting learning and skills development with the latest technology and educational resources.
It will offer a range of full-time and part-time courses through to degree level.
Southern Regional College’s chief executive Brian Doran said: “Our investment and plans, in partnership with the Department for the Economy, demonstrate our commitment to delivering a real impact on people’s lives, enhancing opportunities and ensuring our local and reTWO gional economy has the right skills, talent and know-how to deliver a real and positive impact.”
Meanwhile, the upgrade to the existing runway at RAF Northolt by Lagan Aviation & Infrastructure will improve drainage and safety. The resurfacing work will extend the life of the runway by 10 to 15 years.
Clement Adekoyejo, DIO’s project manager for the work, said: “We are pleased to have successfully awarded the contract for this vital project for military capability to Lagan Aviation & Infrastructure as the main contractor, and Mott MacDonald as our principal support provider. DIO plays a crucial role in maintaining infrastructure to allow the Armed Forces to live, work and train. We appreciate the public support for the station and will endeavour to keep disruption to a minimum.”