Laing was born in Carlisle in 1916.[2][3] He was a member of the Laing Family, famous in the British construction industry for running John Laing plc. He was 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.[4] Laing graduated from Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in 1937 and began work as a graduate engineer for John Laing plc.[4] He was a member of the fifth generation of the Laing family to join the firm.[5] During the Second World War Laing served in the Royal Engineers, receiving his commission as a Second lieutenant on 2 January 1944.[6] 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.[7]
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.[4] Whilst leading the company Laing built on their experience of power station and housing construction and expanded into road building.[5] In 1976 his brother, Maurice, was made chairman and Kirby became deputy chairman.[4] Kirby retired as deputy chairman in 1980, having also been chairman of the Laing properties division.[4] 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.[3][8] He also served as president of the Institution of Civil Engineers from November 1973 to November 1974 and was an honorary member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.[9][10]
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.[11][12][13] He became the corps' commanding officer on 12 January 1978 and retired from the army on 4 August 1997.[14][15]
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.[4] In 1975 he chaired the government's Advisory Committee on Fixed Offshore Installations.[16] He was a member of the Royal Albert Hall Council from 1970, served as their president from 1972 to 1992 and then remained their vice-president.[4]
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.[17][18] He served as a Justice of the Peace for Middlesex and was made Deputy Lieutenant of London on 12 June 1978.[4][19] Laing was made Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire on 8 April 1987.[20] He established the Kirby Laing Foundation as a charity to make grants and donations to charitable causes.[21] Laing was married to Lady Isobel Laing and both were trustees of the foundation.[21]
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 six generations of family management.[22]
^https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1975/feb/24/advisory-committee-on-fixed-offshore. Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 24 February 1975. col. 21–23. {{cite book}}: |chapter-url= missing title (help)
kirby, laing, william, kirby, laing, freng, july, 1916, april, 2009, british, civil, engineer, born21, july, 1916carlisledied12, april, 2009, 2009, aged, nationalitybritishoccupationengineerengineering, careerdisciplinecivil, institutionsinstitution, civil, en. Sir William Kirby Laing DL JP FREng 21 July 1916 12 April 2009 was a British civil engineer 1 Kirby LaingBorn21 July 1916CarlisleDied12 April 2009 2009 04 13 aged 92 NationalityBritishOccupationEngineerEngineering careerDisciplineCivil InstitutionsInstitution of Civil Engineers president Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers president Contents 1 Career 2 References 2 1 Bibliography 3 External linksCareer editLaing was born in Carlisle in 1916 2 3 He was a member of the Laing Family famous in the British construction industry for running John Laing plc He was 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 4 Laing graduated from Emmanuel College Cambridge in 1937 and began work as a graduate engineer for John Laing plc 4 He was a member of the fifth generation of the Laing family to join the firm 5 During the Second World War Laing served in the Royal Engineers receiving his commission as a Second lieutenant on 2 January 1944 6 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 7 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 4 Whilst leading the company Laing built on their experience of power station and housing construction and expanded into road building 5 In 1976 his brother Maurice was made chairman and Kirby became deputy chairman 4 Kirby retired as deputy chairman in 1980 having also been chairman of the Laing properties division 4 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 3 8 He also served as president of the Institution of Civil Engineers from November 1973 to November 1974 and was an honorary member of the American Society of Civil Engineers 9 10 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 11 12 13 He became the corps commanding officer on 12 January 1978 and retired from the army on 4 August 1997 14 15 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 4 In 1975 he chaired the government s Advisory Committee on Fixed Offshore Installations 16 He was a member of the Royal Albert Hall Council from 1970 served as their president from 1972 to 1992 and then remained their vice president 4 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 17 18 He served as a Justice of the Peace for Middlesex and was made Deputy Lieutenant of London on 12 June 1978 4 19 Laing was made Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire on 8 April 1987 20 He established the Kirby Laing Foundation as a charity to make grants and donations to charitable causes 21 Laing was married to Lady Isobel Laing and both were trustees of the foundation 21 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 six generations of family management 22 References edit Obituary Sir Kirby Laing The Guardian Masterton Gordon 2005 ICE Presidential Address PDF archived from the original PDF on 24 February 2009 retrieved 3 November 2008 a b Watson 1989 pp 173 a b c d e f g h Laing Summer 2006 Retired Employee s News PDF archived from the original PDF on 9 December 2007 retrieved 22 November 2008 a b Reference for Business John Laing plc company profile retrieved 22 November 2008 a href Template Citation html title Template Citation citation a last has generic name help No 36409 The London Gazette Supplement 3 March 1944 p 1102 No 40532 The London Gazette Supplement 8 July 1955 p 4005 Watson 1988 p 140 Watson 1988 p 254 American Society of Civil Engineers Awards PDF archived from the original PDF on 23 September 2001 retrieved 22 November 2008 No 44183 The London Gazette Supplement 25 November 1966 p 12934 No 44493 The London Gazette Supplement 29 December 1967 p 77 No 45465 The London Gazette Supplement 6 September 1971 p 9657 No 47462 The London Gazette Supplement 13 February 1978 p 1926 No 54893 The London Gazette Supplement 15 September 1997 p 10465 https api parliament uk historic hansard commons 1975 feb 24 advisory committee on fixed offshore Parliamentary Debates Hansard House of Commons 24 February 1975 col 21 23 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a chapter url missing title help No 44600 The London Gazette Supplement 31 May 1968 pp 6299 6300 No 44712 The London Gazette 8 November 1968 p 12013 No 47568 The London Gazette 15 June 1978 p 7224 No 50901 The London Gazette 24 April 1987 p 5457 a b Charity Commission 31 December 2006 Kirby Laing Foundation report and financial statements PDF retrieved 22 November 2008 permanent dead link Daily Telegraph Chairman steps down from struggling Laing dead link Bibliography edit Watson Garth 1988 The Civils Thomas Telford Ltd ISBN 0 7277 0392 7 Watson Garth 1989 The Smeatonians The Society of Civil Engineers Thomas Telford Ltd ISBN 0 7277 1526 7 Professional and academic associationsPreceded byRoger Hetherington President of the Institution of Civil EngineersNovember 1973 November 1974 Succeeded byWilliam Gordon HarrisExternal links editBritish Army Officers 1939 1945 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kirby Laing amp oldid 1195127911, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
