The family-owned contractor increased revenue 13% to nearly £1.6bn in 2025 while operating profit climbed 8% to a record £86m.

Cash reserves further strengthened, rising to £412m, leaving Murphy with one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry.

The performance saw Murphy enter 2026 with an order book swollen 12% to a record £8.17bn, underpinned by major opportunities across energy, transport and utility infrastructure.

Operating margins also improved from 6.3% to 6.7% as the contractor maintained its disciplined approach to contract selection and risk management.

Chief executive John Murphy said: “This year marks the 75th anniversary of my grandfather founding our business, so it is fitting that we have delivered a year of progressive growth across the company.

“While mindful of potential market uncertainty, we look forward to the future with confidence as the sectors and geographies we work in require significant ongoing investments to support asset renewals, population growth, increased energy demand and sustainability targets.”

Growth was driven by increased activity across Murphy’s UK energy operations and Irish business as the contractor continued to benefit from surging investment in electricity transmission, renewable energy and major transport projects.

The firm secured several landmark project milestones during the year, including bringing Beaulieu Park station into service ahead of schedule, breaking ground on its first project under SSE’s Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment framework and starting design and enabling works on the massive Lower Thames Crossing tunnelling project.

Murphy also completed all trenchless crossings and ducting works on the Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone project and continued delivery of National Grid’s Yorkshire Green Energy Enablement programme, which was the largest substation project ever awarded to the contractor when secured.

The business expanded its international footprint during the year through the acquisition of a 40% stake in Australian infrastructure contractor Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure, opening a new market as part of its long-term growth strategy.

Murphy continued to invest heavily in its workforce as employee numbers jumped 16% to 4,709 after recruiting and onboarding 1,028 new staff during the year.