Keller Regulatory News (KLR)

20 Aug 2007 07:05

Keller Group PLC20 August 2007 For immediate release 20 August 2007 Keller Group plc Largest-ever awards for Keller in Australia and US Keller Group plc ("Keller" or "the Group"), the international ground engineeringspecialist, announces that it has been awarded its largest-ever contract inAustralia and a major project in the US: • a circa A$72m (£30m) contract for piling and ground improvement works for the Gateway Upgrade in Queensland, Australia; and • a major project to build the foundations for The Chicago Spire. Gateway Upgrade The Gateway Upgrade, located near Brisbane's International Airport, is thelargest road and bridge infrastructure project in Queensland's history. It aimsto reduce traffic congestion and improve safety by duplicating the existingGateway Bridge and upgrading 20km of the Gateway Motorway. The ground engineering works are to be carried out by a joint venture led byPiling Contractors, a company acquired by Keller in August 2006, and alsocomprising the Group's three other Australian businesses: Frankipile, Vibro-pileand Keller Ground Engineering. Test piles were completed earlier this year andthe main works are due to complete by autumn 2008. The Chicago Spire The Spire, a 150-storey, 610-metre high residential tower, to be builtoverlooking the shores of Lake Michigan, will dominate the Chicago skyline.Scheduled for completion in late 2010, it is expected to be the tallest buildingin the US. Case Foundation will install 34 steel-reinforced concrete caissons, 36 metres inlength, drilled deep into bedrock. In addition, Case's sister company, HaywardBaker, will construct a 32-metre diameter sheet-piled wall to create a dry workenvironment and to serve as the foundation for the core of the building.Keller's work on the project has already begun and is expected to complete inspring 2008. Justin Atkinson, Keller Chief Executive, commented: "The prevalence of very large scale development projects around the world,requiring complex foundation solutions, is playing to our strengths as a global,high-capacity provider offering a full range of techniques. "Both of these jobs will use combined Group resources and demonstrate thesynergies between our businesses, particularly when it comes to co-operation onlarge projects. "Coming on the back of recently-announced major contract wins in the MiddleEast, these contract awards boost an already excellent order book." For further information, please contact: Keller Group plcJustin Atkinson, Chief Executive 020 7616 7575James Hind, Finance Director Smithfield 020 7360 4900Reg Hoare/Rupert Trefgarne Note for journalists On 21 June 2007, Keller announced the award of contracts valued at aroundUS$110m (£55m) for piling and ground improvement works in the Middle East. Keller has today announced its half-year results for the six months ended 30June 2007. The above announcements are available on the Group's website at www.keller.co.uk This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange