Skanska seeks new staff despite margin drop

摘要

Skanska UK's operating margin dipped from 3.1 per cent to 2.4 per cent year-on-year in H1 2015, but the contractor will recruit 1,000 staff to deliver major projects as its order book swells. In the first half of 2014, Skanska UK recorded operating profit of £19.9m on revenue of £651.4m, with an operating margin of 3.1 per cent. This year it made £16.lm operating profit on revenue of £675m, at a margin of 2.4 per cent. Major wins in 2015 include a joint venture with Costain on the A14 improvement scheme between Huntingdon and Cambridge - a contract worth about £600m. However, the company missed out on Highways England's smart motorway contracts, worth more than £1.5bn, this month. In H1, Skanska sold 66 Queen Square in Bristol to Aviva Investors for about £33m.The company said The Monument Building in London (pictured), which is under construction, is also "attracting encouraging interest from agents and investors".