Company: High-Point Rendel

Background: formed in 1985 from merger of High-Point with Rendel, Palmer & Tritton (RPT)

Activities: business and management, capital projects, design and engineering

Principal offices: London, New York, Dhaka, Hong Kong

MENA offices: Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Turkey, UAE

Structure: restructured internally in 1997 into five regional departments: Europe, Middle East,

Africa; Asia Pacific; Americas; Indian subcontinent and UK

Staff: 380 people world-wide

Performance: turnover of £25 million in 1998; an operating profit of £2 million.

Major institutional investors: Schroders, Mercury Asset Management, Prudential and Framlington

Major Middle East project activity: Egypt (Aswan suspension bridge), Lebanon (Solidere),

Libya (Great Manmade River) and Turkey (Istanbul - Ankara highway), UAE (Abu Dhabi roads,

Gateway bridge). RPT designed most of the bridges in Iraq destroyed by allied bombing in 1991

Strategy: Grow business and services management; develop presence in leading financing centres; deepen involvement in private finance initiative (PFI); increase turnover to £100 million

within five years; conclude acquisition of UK chartered surveyors MDA