AGM Statement

Kier Group PLC 02 December 2002 KIER GROUP plc AGM STATEMENT Kier Group plc, the major construction, support services, housebuilding and property group, held its Annual General Meeting at the Group's head office at Sandy, Bedfordshire on Saturday, 30 November at 11.00am. Commenting to shareholders on the strong performance achieved by Kier Group plc in its financial year to 30 June 2002, Colin Busby, Chairman and Chief Executive, went on to say that prospects in all of Kier's markets were encouraging and that the Group had made a good start to the new financial year. He made the following comments: "Kier's resilient financial performance continues to reflect the conservatism and prudence applied in both accounting and risk management. Last year we reported our tenth successive year of continuous growth, a record that would be unsustainable without the long-term, cautious approach taken in managing the business. "Kier's Construction & Support Services businesses in the UK have a greater workload of higher quality than at any time in the past with market sectors such as retail, health and education more than compensating for a cooling in the commercial sector. We are hopeful of securing the £640m outsourcing contract for the building maintenance and repairs service for Sheffield City Council on which we recently announced our selection as preferred bidder, which will bolster our order book further. "The programme to continue improving the overall Construction & Services margin is being sustained. Internationally the return to profitability was achieved last year and the business continues its healthy performance. It will contribute strongly to the overall Construction performance in the Group. "The private Housing business has made an excellent start to the year due to the continued strong demand for new homes in all the areas in which Kier operates. Both completions and current forward order book are significantly ahead of last year, together securing over 70% of our projected unit sales for the current year. Demand for new houses continues to outstrip supply and affordability remains good, factors which, we believe, bode well for the industry in the longer term. "In Property good progress is being made on the development opportunity at Whitehall and our joint venture with the Bank of Scotland is proving to be a sound investment. "In respect of PFI, the Group's Infrastructure Investment team was successful in achieving financial close on Greenwich Carehomes. PFI will continue to provide opportunities for the future, however our approach to the process will remain a cautious one particularly whilst bidding costs remain high. "In line with our plans to continue to grow our business I am pleased to announce that we will be strengthening the Board from 1 January 2003 with two new appointments. Dick Side, Managing Director of Kier Regional, will become the main Board director responsible for the Regional construction division and Dick Simkin, Managing Director of Kier Property, will be the main Board Director responsible for the property division. Both have a wealth of experience in their respective sectors and many years' service with Kier Group . I wish them well in their new roles. "With our key businesses moving forward and prospects remaining good in our markets, we expect your Group to continue its progress during 2002/3." Enquiries to: Colin Busby, Chairman Kier Group plc Tel: 01767 640111 Caroline Sturdy/Bella Jowett Bell Pottinger Financial Tel: 020 7861 3889 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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