Severfield Rowen losses hit £10m on Cheesegrater

Aaron Morby 12 years ago
Share

Britain’s biggest steelmaker is facing a £20m hole in its books following a sweeping review of 71 contracts across the country.

Severfield Rowen has unearthed eight problem jobs, including the Cheesgrater where it expects to lose £10m.

Three other unnamed contracts, rumoured to include the Blackfriars Bridge and Emirates cable car jobs in London, will also cost £2.9m in overruns.

A further five contracts are subject to significant cost variations, which have still to be agreed with clients, with the board making an anticipated writedown of £7.3m.

Executive chairman John Dodds said the firm was being supported by its banks and was looking at a £50m equity fund raising issue, which would need the backing of its shareholders.

“I am also greatly encouraged by the strong and visible support we have received from our leading shareholders and the constructive discussions we continue to have with our lenders around the longer term financing of the group,” he added.

“We believe that the group can return operating margins to between 5% and 6% over time and I am confident that the longer term fundamentals of the Group remain strong.”

Since August 2012 when problems first started to surface, Severfield Rowen has tightened up its construction estimating procedures.

The contract review also identified a need for stronger contracting processes and discipline where it found it was wanting in risk assessment on more complex contracts.

Dodds said the implementation of these improvements will be undertaken as quickly as possible.

Cheesegrater contract

122 Leadenhall Street

The Review established that the technical challenges of the site works are significantly greater than first estimated. As a result it will require longer timescales and greater resources to complete. A comprehensive reassessment of the works to complete, along with a detailed review of all other forecast costs still to be incurred has change an expected profit on the overall life of the contract into a loss.
Severfield Rowen will make an incremental charge to the profit and loss account of £9.9m for the 12 months to end of December 2012.

Latest news

London new home starts plunge 38% as Building Safety Act bites

Capital only region to see Q1 fall in NHBC new home registrations
11 minutes ago

Higgins Homes and site workers face manslaughter charges

Contractor and four site staff charged after woman killed by falling pallet of bricks
22 hours ago

Operator spots cracked mast on Hinkley tower crane

Hinkley Point C contractor hit with safety notice over failed mast pin and cracks
4 hours ago

Countdown starts for £1bn Birmingham highways bid race

Council will break-up mega framework into five lots
4 hours ago

Acciona wins £400m Thames waterworks upgrade

Lea Valley Coppermills water treatment works to get full overhaul
4 hours ago

Pension giants pledge £25bn for infrastructure push

Seventeen pension providers pledge to invest in projects
3 hours ago

Safety row over London tower ducking fire regs by 30cm

Fire union calls on Mayor to block Bromley flats plan over single staircase
4 hours ago

Midgard lands £145m deal to build Edition Birmingham

Construction to start shortly on twin residential towers
24 hours ago

McAleer & Rushe set to break £500m turnover barrier

Pre-tax profit jumped 16% to £46m last year
1 day ago

Top design team picked for £2.5bn York Central scheme

Massive city centre regen scheme moves to detailed design
1 day ago

MoD to bid £100m command HQ enabling works

Hertfordshire joint forces command centre expansion advances
1 day ago

Failed shed specialist Marbank owed suppliers £10m

Contractor was facing a string of adjudication claims
1 day ago

New scaffolding training trade body launches

Scaffolding Training Alliance formed amid disquiet caused by planned training changes
21 hours ago

£1.8bn framework planned for green retrofit drive

Procure Plus to invite bids later this month
1 day ago

Breakthrough for HS2 as first Birmingham tunnel section dug

Balfour Beatty VINCI completes 3.5-mile TBM drive in 652 days
4 days ago

HS2 Curzon Street station redesign approved as timber roof axed

Change to meet stricter fire safety rules and cut maintenance costs
4 days ago

Care home fire trial collapses

Prosecution withdrawn against four firms including Morgan Sindall Property Services
5 days ago

Leicester rebids £22m station revamp after failed tender race

Council opts for ECI route after receiving one bid for project
4 days ago

Kier wins £58m East Coast College rebuild job in Great Yarmouth

Work to start this summer for 1,300-student college
4 days ago

R G Carter wins £28m hospital car park job in King’s Lynn

MSCP paves way for £1.5bn Queen Elizabeth Hospital rebuild in 2027
4 days ago

London to relax green belt building rules

Sadiq Khan shifts position on planning
4 days ago

Willmott Dixon wins Great Yarmouth waterfront deal

North Quay 10.5 acres mixed-use scheme to advance
5 days ago

SIG chief quits to join Travis Perkins

Gavin Slark to leave by the end of this year
4 days ago

Eight take key spots on £250m Prosper framework

Housing and public building upkeep deal for North East awarded
5 days ago

Early call-out for £150m Ebbsfleet Garden City infrastructure

Bidders day to set out plan for Ebbsfleet Central commercial scheme
6 days ago

McLaren storms April contracts league with flurry of wins

Cardiff Bay Arena job headlines a series of big contract wins
5 days ago

Balfour Beatty lifts cash forecast after strong first quarter

Contractor set to hit £1bn average monthly net cash in 2025
5 days ago

Goldman Sachs-owned Adler & Allan buys 180-strong civils outfit

West Country's Glanville Environmental gets new owner
5 days ago

Caddick lands first contract for £200m Skelmersdale revamp

Developer gets green light for masterplan
5 days ago

Van Elle sells HGV fleet to haulage firm

WS Specialist Logistics pays £2.9m to take on fleet and drivers
5 days ago

Contractor services