Ten Minutes with Lauro Bravar, President of Spain’s OHL USA
Has a year of financial turmoil killed off the merger and acquisition market for contractors? Not yet, at least when foreign investors are following carefully set strategies. OHL Group of Spain recently acquired control of its third Florida construction firm, Miami-based building contractor Arellano Construction, and OHL agreed to pay $25 million now and at least another $11.5 million, depending on the company’s performance. In exchange OHL received for 70% of Arellano’s stock. In 2006, it purchased Community Asphalt, a civil contractor based in Hialeah, and in 2007 OHL bought commercial building contractor The Tower Group, which is based Davie. ENR correspondent Debra Wood spoke with OHL USA President Lauro Bravar about the “biorhythm” of health care, the financial turmoil and OHL’s plans for U.S. expansion.
Arellano Construction is a preferred contractor for HCA of Nashville and has worked on more than 65 HCA projects in Florida and South Carolina. Is that why you like the company?