Profile
OHLA is a global infrastructure group with more than 110 years of experience. With a global portfolio of more than 7,000 million euros and 24,000 employees, it is currently:
- A reference in construction and concession management.
- Expert in civil engineering, singular and hospital building, industrial and services engineering.
- The company focus its activities in U.S.A, Latin America, and Europe, and has been ranked in the top 40th international contractor. In the USA we ranked 14th in the Top 20 Contractors by sector (Transportation) and 15th in the Top 50 Domestic Heavy Contractors*.
- And it has been awarded as the 2021 Contractor of the Year in California, and the 2019 Contractor of the Year in New York*.
*Ranking Engineering News Record (ENR).
It is also a reference in Latin America, where it has more than 45 years of experience in infrastructure projects.
The OHLA Group is organized into five lines of business lines: Concessions, Construction, Services, Industrial and Developments.Since the establishment of Obrascon in 1911, OHLA has been active in all activities of the construction sector worldwide.
History
OHLA is the result of the merger of three companies: Obrascón, Huarte and Lain.The Sociedad General de Obras y Construcciones Obrascón was founded on May 15 1911 in Bilbao as a general construction company with an international vocation. Its first commission was the building of two docks at the port Lisbon in 1912. Between 1953 and 1973 it belonged to the Bank of Bilbao, then passed into the hands of Altos Hornos of Vizcaya. Juan-Miguel Villar Mir and José Luis García Villalba, alongside other businessmen within the sector, bought the company in 1987. Since 1991 it has been listed on the stock market.
Huarte was started up in Pamplona in 1927 by the Huarte and Malumbres families. In 1996 Obrascón became its partner and in 1997 both companies agreed on a merger that took place in January 1998.
Lain Constructions was formed in 1963 as a subsidiary of the British John Laing Construction group. In 1988, a group of professionals acquired 90% of the company changing its name to Construcciones Lain. In 1991 it was listed on the stock exchange. Its merger with Obrascón Huarte to form OHL agreed on May 19 1999, was a significant event for the construction and services sector.
In July 2021, the company proceeds to carry out a change of image and corporate identity, under the denomination of OHLA