Gammon Construction Explained

Gammon Construction
Type:	Private
Foundation:	1919
Founder:	John C. Gammon
Location City:	Kwun Tong, Hong Kong
Area Served:	Asia Pacific
Industry:	Construction
Owner:	Jardine Matheson Balfour Beatty

Gammon Construction Limited is a Hong Kong construction and engineering contractor headquartered in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong. In addition to local construction projects, it is also involved in the construction and engineering of various projects in China and Southeast Asia.

History

The company originated from a construction business founded in India by John C. Gammon in 1919.^[1] In 1955, a branch was engaged to build a new runway at Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong.^[1] In 1958, Gammon Construction Limited ("Gammon") was formed to establish a permanent presence in Hong Kong.^[1]

Once incorporated in Hong Kong, it grew rapidly, obtaining construction work of a diverse nature. By the late 1970s, it was established as the leading contractor in Hong Kong, participating in many of the major infrastructure projects of that time. The company began to expand business outside Hong Kong, establishing offices in Singapore and Vietnam.^[1]

Ownership

Jardine Matheson took a minority interest in Gammon in 1969 and it became a public company in 1970. Then in 1975, Jardines acquired the remaining shareholding and thus Gammon became a wholly owned subsidiary of Jardines.^[2] In late 1983, Jardine Matheson sold 50 percent of Gammon to Trafalgar House, a UK-based company involved in construction, shipping and property.^[3]

Gammon then became the preferred constructor throughout the Asia-Pacific region for both Jardines and Trafalgar House. In 1996, Kvaerner took over Trafalgar House, thereby acquiring its 50% interest in Gammon. Skanska acquired all of Kvaerner's construction businesses, including Gammon, in late 2000. Balfour Beatty, the international engineering, construction and services group, subsequently purchased Skanska's 50% in Gammon in 2004.^[4]

Corporate affairs

It has its head office in Kwun Tong.^[5] It occupies 36900square feet of space there. It moved there circa 2019.^[6]

Previously its head office was in TaiKoo Place in Quarry Bay.^[7]

Notable projects

Gammon has been involved in the construction of various major projects in Hong Kong and around the region:

• Trackwork contract for the MRT Phases I, IA, and II in Singapore completed in 1990^[8]
• Bukit Panjang LRT line in Singapore completed in 1999^[9]
• The North East section of Chinatown MRT station in Singapore completed in 2003^[10]
• Chater House in Central, Hong Kong completed in 2002^[11]
• Tseung Kwan O line extension in Hong Kong completed in 2002^[12]
• One Peking Road in Kowloon, Hong Kong completed in 2003^[13]
• Le Méridien Cyberport in Southern District, Hong Kong completed in 2004^[14]
• Three Pacific Place in Admiralty, Hong Kong completed in 2004^[15]
• Maintenance depot on the Ma On Shan line in Hong Kong completed in 2004^[12]
• The Disneyland Resort line on the Tsing Chau Tsai Peninsula in Hong Kong completed in 2005^[12]
• The northern section of the Kong Sham Western Highway completed in 2007^[16]
• One Island East in Eastern District, Hong Kong completed in 2008^[17]
• Upgrading of the Woodsville Interchange in Singapore completed in 2008^[18]
• Nam Wan Tunnel in Hong Kong completed in 2009^[19]
• iSQUARE in Kowloon, Hong Kong completed in 2009^[20]
• Institute of Technical Education College West Campus in Singapore completed in 2010^[21]
• The Downtown section of the Chinatown MRT station in Singapore completed in 2013^[22]
• The Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal at Hong Kong International Airport completed in 2015^[23]
• The Midfield Concourse at Hong Kong International Airport completed in 2016^[24]
• The northern section of the Hong Kong West Kowloon railway station completed in 2018^[25]
• The southern section of the Tuen Mun–Chek Lap Kok Link completed in 2018^[26]
• Mayflower MRT station in Singapore completed in 2021^[27]
• Havelock MRT station in Singapore completed in 2022^[27]

The company is also involved in the construction for the Cross Island section of the Ang Mo Kio MRT station due to be completed in 2030.^[28]

Notes and References

1. Web site: A golden decade for the construction industry. 10 June 2014. South China Morning Post. 26 September 2018.
2. Web site: Balfour Beatty and Jardine Matheson win £600m Hong Kong contracts. 13 June 2016. The Telegraph. 26 September 2018.
3. Web site: Hong Kong Construction Firms May Be Squeezed by Slowdown. 1 May 1996. Wall Street Journal. 26 September 2018.
4. Web site: Balfour buys Gammon stake. 3 June 2004. Construction News. 26 September 2018.
5. Web site: Contact. Gammon Construction Limited. 2020-11-24. Hong Kong Headquarters Gammon Construction Limited Address 22/F, Tower 1, The Quayside 77 Hoi Bun Road Kwun Tong, Kowloon Hong Kong.
6. Web site: Liu. Yvonne. New lettings of Grade A offices down 30% in March . JLL Partners. 2019-04-15. 2020-11-24.
7. Web site: Contact Us. https://web.archive.org/web/20050205051655/http://www.gammonconstruction.com/hk/eng/contact/contact.html. dead. 2005-02-05. Gammon Construction. 2005-02-05. Gammon Construction Limited 28th Floor, Devon House TaiKoo Place, 979 King's Road Hong Kong.
8. News: 12 March 1988 . Page 8 Advertisements Column 1 . The Straits Times . 8.
9. Web site: Built at a cost of $285 million, Bukit Panjang LRT may be scrapped. The Independent. 7 October 2016. 15 December 2019.
10. Web site: Chinatown MRT Station – C710 Mero . 2024-07-31 . en-US.
11. Web site: Chater House. Skyscraper Center. 15 December 2019.
12. Web site: Gammon Construction awarded £238m. The Engineer. 19 August 2010. 15 December 2019.
13. Web site: One Peking Road. Skyscraper Center. 15 December 2019.
14. Web site: Programme. Cyberport. 15 December 2019.
15. Web site: Three Pacific Place. Skyscraper Center. 15 December 2019.
16. Web site: Gammon Skanska wins $2.2b bridge deal. South China Morning Post. 31 July 2003. 15 December 2019.
17. Web site: One Island East. Skyscraper Center. 15 December 2019.
18. Upgrading of Woodsville Interchange . OneMotoring . 3 March 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110726135101/http://www.onemotoring.com.sg/publish/onemotoring/en/on_the_roads/road_projects/Woodsville_Interchange.html . dead . 26 July 2011 .
19. Web site: Nam Wan blasts through in HK. 13 April 2005. Tunnels and Tunnelling. 15 December 2019.
20. Web site: Gammon innovates at iSquare. 16 January 2010. Pacific Rim Construction. 15 February 2019.
21. Web site: Balfour Beatty ties up £100m PPP deal in Singapore. Building. 12 August 2008. 15 December 2019.
22. Web site: Construction Work On Downtown Line Stage 1 Begins. Land Transport Authority. 12 February 2008. 15 December 2019. 15 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191215164230/https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/dam/ltaweb/corp/PublicTransport/files/Construction-Work-On-DTL-Stage-1-Begins.pdf. dead.
23. Web site: Balfour Beatty JV scoops £507m Hong Kong deal. Construction Index. 15 December 2019.
24. Web site: US$ 802 million Hong Kong airport contract awarded. International Construction. 8 March 2012. 16 December 2019.
25. Web site: Leighton wins $1.2b Hong Kong rail deal. Sydney Morning Herald. 20 October 2011. 16 December 2019.
26. Web site: Gammon Bags Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link Viaduct Job. 20 June 2013. Construction Post. 15 December 2019.
27. Web site: LTA awards three Thomson MRT Line contracts worth $1.09 billion. The Straits Times. 21 February 2014. 15 December 2019.
28. Web site: LTA Awards Civil Contract for Design and Construction of Ang Mo Kio Station and Tunnels under Cross Island Line Phase 1. 20 June 2013. Land Transport Authority. 5 December 2023.