Kirby Laing
Encyclopedia
Sir William "Kirby" Laing, DL
, JP
, FREng
(21 July 1916 – 12 April 2009) was a British
civil engineer
.
, famous in the British construction industry for running John Laing plc. He is the son of Sir John Laing and the brother of Sir Maurice Laing
. Kirby Laing learnt about the construction industry from his father and would visit the company's construction sites with him during the school holidays. Laing graduated from Emmanuel College
at the University of Cambridge
in 1937 and began work as a graduate engineer for John Laing plc. He was a member of the fifth generation of the Laing family to be join the firm. During the Second World War Laing served in the Royal Engineers
, receiving his commission as a Second Lieutenant
on 2 January 1944. He resigned his commission as a Lieutenant
in the Territorial Army Reserve of Officers on 13 July 1955, although he was permitted to retain the honorary title of Lieutenant.
In 1946 he became joint managing director of Laing (the parent company of John Laing plc) and from 1956 to 1976 he was chairman of the Laing Group. Whilst leading the company Laing built on their experience of power station
and housing construction and expanded into road building. In 1976 his brother, Maurice, was made chairman and Kirby became deputy Chairman. Kirby retired as deputy chairman in 1980, having also been chairman of the Laing properties division. In 1968 Kirby had been elected a first class member of the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers
and would serve as their president in 1988. He also served as president of the Institution of Civil Engineers
from November 1973 to November 1974 and is an honorary member of the American Society of Civil Engineers
.
Laing returned to military service by being invited to join the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps, an unpaid, voluntary Territorial Army unit which advises the British Army
on engineering matters. He joined as a Major on 14 October 1966, was commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel on 23 December 1967 and Colonel
on 17 May 1971. He became the corps' commanding officer on 12 January 1978 and retired from the army on 4 August 1997.
In 1977 Laing was elected to the Fellowship of Engineering. He was also president of the National Federation of Building Trades Employers and of the London Master Builders Association. He was also Chairman of the Construction Industry Research and Information Association and the National Joint Council of the Building Industry. In 1975 he chaired the government's Advisory Committee on Fixed Offshore Installations. He has been a member of the Royal Albert Hall Council since 1970, served as their president from 1972 to 1992 and remains their vice-president.
Laing was made a knight bachelor
on 8 June 1968, an honour which was conferred on him by Queen Elizabeth II on 5 November 1968. He served as a Justice of the Peace
for Middlesex
and was made Deputy Lieutenant
of London on 12 June 1978. Laing was made Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire
on 8 April 1987. He established the Kirby Laing Foundation as a charity to make grants and donations to charitable causes. Laing is married to Lady Isobel Laing and both are trustees of the foundation.
His son Martin Laing
became executive chairman of John Laing plc, but resigned in 2001 when the company faced major losses in its construction business, ending 152 years and five generations of family management.
DL
DL, dL, or dl may stand for:Measurement of volume* the symbol of the decilitre , an SI unit of measurement of capacity or volume Science and tech* Data link, a computer connection for transmitting data...
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, FREng
Royal Academy of Engineering
-Overview: is the UK’s national academy of engineering. The Academy brings together the most successful and talented engineers from across the engineering sectors for a shared purpose: to advance and promote excellence in engineering....
(21 July 1916 – 12 April 2009) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
.
Career
Laing was born in Carlisle in 1916. He is a member of the Laing FamilyLaing Family
The Laing Family is a British family. The family is famous through their association with John Laing plc, a construction company founded in 1848. The company grew under the leadership of Sir John Laing and passed through the hands of his sons Sir Kirby Laing and Sir Maurice Laing. The Laing...
, famous in the British construction industry for running John Laing plc. He is the son of Sir John Laing and the brother of Sir Maurice Laing
Maurice Laing
Sir John Maurice Laing was a senior executive of British construction company John Laing plc. He was the first president of the Confederation of British Industry in 1965-6....
. Kirby Laing learnt about the construction industry from his father and would visit the company's construction sites with him during the school holidays. Laing graduated from Emmanuel College
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1937 and began work as a graduate engineer for John Laing plc. He was a member of the fifth generation of the Laing family to be join the firm. During the Second World War Laing served in the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, receiving his commission as a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
on 2 January 1944. He resigned his commission as a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Territorial Army Reserve of Officers on 13 July 1955, although he was permitted to retain the honorary title of Lieutenant.
In 1946 he became joint managing director of Laing (the parent company of John Laing plc) and from 1956 to 1976 he was chairman of the Laing Group. Whilst leading the company Laing built on their experience of power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
and housing construction and expanded into road building. In 1976 his brother, Maurice, was made chairman and Kirby became deputy Chairman. Kirby retired as deputy chairman in 1980, having also been chairman of the Laing properties division. In 1968 Kirby had been elected a first class member of the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers
Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers
The Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers was founded in 1771, and was originally known as the Society of Civil Engineers, being renamed following its founder's death...
and would serve as their president in 1988. He also served as president of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Institution of Civil Engineers
Founded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...
from November 1973 to November 1974 and is an honorary member of the American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
.
Laing returned to military service by being invited to join the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps, an unpaid, voluntary Territorial Army unit which advises the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
on engineering matters. He joined as a Major on 14 October 1966, was commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel on 23 December 1967 and Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
on 17 May 1971. He became the corps' commanding officer on 12 January 1978 and retired from the army on 4 August 1997.
In 1977 Laing was elected to the Fellowship of Engineering. He was also president of the National Federation of Building Trades Employers and of the London Master Builders Association. He was also Chairman of the Construction Industry Research and Information Association and the National Joint Council of the Building Industry. In 1975 he chaired the government's Advisory Committee on Fixed Offshore Installations. He has been a member of the Royal Albert Hall Council since 1970, served as their president from 1972 to 1992 and remains their vice-president.
Laing was made a knight bachelor
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
on 8 June 1968, an honour which was conferred on him by Queen Elizabeth II on 5 November 1968. He served as a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
and was made Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of London on 12 June 1978. Laing was made Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
on 8 April 1987. He established the Kirby Laing Foundation as a charity to make grants and donations to charitable causes. Laing is married to Lady Isobel Laing and both are trustees of the foundation.
His son Martin Laing
Martin Laing
Sir John Martin Kirby Laing, CBE, DL, FRICS is a British entrepreneur in the construction industry.Martin Laing was executive chairman of John Laing plc, the firm founded by his great-great-grandfather James Laing , but resigned in 2001 when the company faced major losses in its construction...
became executive chairman of John Laing plc, but resigned in 2001 when the company faced major losses in its construction business, ending 152 years and five generations of family management.