Contracts worth £1.37bn keep Laing on top in chart of 1998 as Tarmac takes monthly honours.
Laing has beaten tough competition from Bovis to take the top spot for work won in the year to December 1998.

The contracting giant won 51 contracts worth a massive £1.37bn in 1998, £120m clear of Bovis, which landed £1.25bn of work.

Lyons Sleeman & Hoare led the architects' league, winning £364m worth of work. Sheppard Robson was second with £301m.

Supermarket giant J Sainsbury was client of the year, procuring 38 projects worth £322m.

Christmas came early for Tarmac and Willmott Dixon, with both contractors scooping sizeable contracts in December. Tarmac displaced Bovis at the top of the monthly table, with five contracts worth a total of £111.2m.

Willmott Dixon made spectacular progress, moving from 23rd place in November to third in December with three contracts totalling £43.3m.

How the tables work

To qualify for the tables, companies must have been identified on two or more projects fitting the criteria below in the past 12 months. Projects must:
  • be of precisely calculated or confirmed value
  • have reached the main contract stage
  • be valued at £1m or more
  • be in the UK. Projects that are residential, civil engineering or overseas contracts are excluded. Student accommodation is included.