 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.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.Whilst leading the company Laing built on their experience of power station and housing construction and expanded into road building.