4th Apr 2008 07:01
Oak Holdings PLC04 April 2008 Laing O'Rourke says Yes to YES! 4th April 2008 Oak Holdings plc ("Oak" or the "Company"), the AIM listed company behind the£350 million YES! Project, announces that it has reached a further milestone inthe project, signing a partnership agreement with Laing O'Rourke, the UK'slargest privately-owned construction company. The agreement provides Oak with arelationship with a major international building contractor for the provision ofconstruction services associated with all aspects of the YES! Project. As Oak'sconstruction partner, Laing O'Rourke will be integrated within the YES projectteam at an early stage in order for the project to benefit from their specialistconstruction advice and knowledge. YES!, the leisure-based resort, activity, sports and convention destination, isscheduled to become the largest covered leisure facility in Europe, followingOak's announcement on 22 February 2008 that it had agreed project terms withRotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. The project, which has planning consentfor nearly 300,000 square metres, sits on 327ha within 1.5km of Junction 31 ofthe M1, and is expected to be in operation in 2011. Chief Executive of Oak Holdings, Steve Lewis said: "The exciting developmentsannounced recently are the fruits of four and a half years' labour. We are nowin a position to move the scheme forward with certainty. To secure the servicesof Laing O'Rourke, with its exemplary record for delivering high-profile schemessuccessfully and on time, is a major achievement for the project. Laing O'Rourkeis one of Europe's foremost construction services groups and it is championingthe partnership approach to major projects. We are very pleased to have them asour partners." Mike Robins, Managing Director for Construction Europe at Laing O'Rourke,welcomed today's announcement. He said: "We are delighted to be involved withsuch a visionary project. The collaborative and inclusive approach Oak hasadopted in its approach to all its consultants and specialist partners accordswith our ethos, and we are committed to supporting the project." Oak recently secured a deal with the Sheffield Steelers ice hockey team todevelop a new state-of-the-art purpose-built arena, the first of its kind in theUK, and BT has also announced recently its involvement in the project to itsglobal workforce. ENDS For further information, contact: Oak Holdings Plc: +44(0)20 7493 5522Steve Lewis Chief Executive OfficerMike Hill Finance Director Laing O'Rourke:Madano Partnership; +44(0)20 7593 4000 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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