Richard Willmott, who runs contractor Willmott Dixon, has made his first appearance

in The Sunday Times Rich List supplement for 2005. Willmott is placed at 458th, thanks to his family鈥檚 fortune of 拢100m. The Willmotts have a 65% stake in the company.

The uplift in his assets is the result of the contractor鈥檚 record 拢10m profit for 2004. Willmott may be featuring in a higher position next year: the firm is planning a 拢100m flotation for Inspace, its support services arm.

The highest placed individual from the construction industry is JCB chairman Sir Anthony Bamford and his family. Bamford is 65th in the list with a fortune of 拢700m. He retired as managing director of the 拢550m Staffordshire firm last year.

Keith Miller and family have gone up from 120th to 104th place this year with a fortune of 拢480m, attributable to their 92% stake in Edinburgh-based contractor and housebuilder Miller Group.

Ray O鈥橰ourke and his family are ranked 155th with a fortune of 拢320m. This is a rise of 拢115m on last year for the man who bought Laing Construction for 拢1 in 2001 and follows the firm鈥檚 profit of 拢60m last year.

Ray O鈥橰ourke is at 155th with 拢320m. This is up 拢115m since 2004 for the man who paid 拢1 for Laing in 2001

Former John Laing chairman Sir Martin Laing and family have dropped again to 349th with a 拢130m fortune. The Laing family ties in equal place with the family of Sir Christopher Wates, former chief executive of the contractor and housebuilder Wates.

The highest-placed housing figure in the list is Wilson Bowden founder David Wilson, who appears in 121st place with 拢430m. Wilson, who founded the housebuilder and developer 45 years ago as a building company, has a stake worth 拢378m.

Redrow founder Steve Morgan, who made an unsuccessful attempt to take over Liverpool football club in December, is rated 149th with a fortune of 拢340m.

Stef Stefanou, who runs contractor John Doyle Group, and his brother Stelios, who runs facilities manager Accord, were ranked 740th with a joint fortune of 拢66m.