Turkish contractor Limak International, with a turnover exceeding $4 billion and a workforce of around 30,000, is set to construct Luton Town Football Club's new 25,000-seat stadium at Power Court. Although Limak is a newcomer to the UK market, it already boasts an impressive international portfolio, including the high-profile redevelopment of FC Barcelona’s Spotify Camp Nou. The contract win marks Limak's first project in the UK, a country known for its strict building procedures and competitive market with tight profit margins. Gokalp Kahraman, the UK representative for Limak, emphasises the firm's commitment to becoming a local contractor, blending Turkish expertise with UK-based staff to manage the project.

Luton Town’s move from their 12,000-seat Kenilworth Road ground, which has been their home for nearly 120 years, is part of a wider regeneration initiative for the town centre. The new stadium aims not only to enhance the matchday experience for fans but also to act as a catalyst for broader community development, including new homes, a hotel, and supporting infrastructure. Construction is scheduled to start this summer, with a goal to open the stadium ahead of the 2028/29 football season. The project is expected to create over 1,000 permanent jobs, reflecting the club's ambitions and the transformative potential of the development for Luton’s economy and urban landscape.

The stadium project is designed to meet high environmental standards, aspiring to achieve a leading BREEAM rating to become one of the most environmentally friendly stadiums in the UK. This aligns with the contemporary focus on sustainability in sports venue construction. Limak's involvement in such complex, large-scale infrastructure projects underlines their capability, as demonstrated by their diverse portfolio, which includes airports, bridges, dams, and metro rail lines beyond their well-known stadium work. For example, Limak is currently engaged in major contracts such as the new terminal at Kuwait Airport and a metro line in Dubai.

Limak’s ambitions in the UK extend beyond football stadiums. The company has expertise in sectors such as reservoirs, highways, tunnelling, and bridges and expresses interest in participating in public-private partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects, which are abundant in the UK. However, Kahraman has acknowledged challenges, including protracted project initiation times and low profit margins typical of the UK construction sector, which have led some Turkish firms, such as Gülermak, to withdraw from major projects like the HS2 train depot near Birmingham.

Meanwhile, Limak’s chairperson, Ebru Özdemir, highlights the firm's commitment to diversity and engineering education through initiatives like Global Engineer Girls (GEG), aiming to inspire female engineers both in Turkey and potentially the UK. Limak’s goal is to leverage its global expertise to contribute meaningfully to UK infrastructure while supporting local employment and talent development. By embedding itself in the UK market with a long-term vision, Limak seeks to move beyond a single stadium contract to a sustained presence across various construction sectors.

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Source: Noah Wire Services