Aveng Grinaker-LTA Limited was formed in 2000, but the history of the two companies can be traced back to the early 1900's - Ole Grinaker, founder of O. Grinaker Limited and James Thompson Limited, one of the companies that later became LTA.

In 1889 James Thompson set up a building and carpentry business in Durban. His reputation for outstanding craftmanship and quality work caught the attention of one of South Africa's greatest architects, Sir Herbert Baker, who described Thompson as 'best builder in South Africa'.

When James Thompson became mayor of Johannesburg in 1908, he was already the largest building contractor in town and by 1930 when his sons, James and Mark joined the business, Thompson had set up branches in all the major cities of South Africa.

James Junior took over from his father in 1934 and one of the first major projects under his new leadership was the construction of Anglo American's headquarters at 44 Main Street, Johannesburg. This was the beginning of a continued association with Anglo American. In 1951 James Thompson Limited became a public company listed on the Johannsburg Stock Exchange. Anglo American took a modest shareholding.

In 1962, Thompson formed a roads and earthworks company and business expanded into Africa. Thompson merged with Lewis Construction, Steeledale Reinforcing and Amalgamated Construction in 1965. It was during this year that LTA was formed and listed on the JSE.

Grinaker, on the other hand, has it origins in Ole Grinaker, a young engineer from Norway who came to South Africa in 1911 under contract with the South African Department of Irrigation. When World War One broke out, Ole found himself back in Norway only returned to South Africa for the second time in 1934. He settled in Durban and started his own steel reinforcing and fixing business, the Concrete Construction Company.

It was not long before the company was awarded its first major contract for the construction of a dam for Rand Leases, a gold mine on the West Rand. This led to the formation of O. Grinaker (Pty) Limited in the Transvaal and its entry into the field of civil engineering. The company expanded into Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Tanzania and in 1963 Grinaker acquired Cramond Earthmovers. The following year, the company was listed on the JSE as Grinaker Holdings.

During the 1960's and 70's both companies enjoyed boom times and showed significant growth. In 1978, LTA formed MITEC, the first step in mechanical, electrical and process engineering. In the same year Grinaker acquired Racal Electronics and the company was split into Grinaker Construction and Grinaker Electronics.

The 1980's saw LTA acquiring JC Groenewalds Electrical Contractors and forming Karrena Africa, while Grinaker acquired Dura Construction, Cape Town. During this period, AMIC acquired a 68% stake in LTA and Anglovaal, via AVI, acquired controlling interest in Grinaker.

The 1990's brought further changes with LTA acquiring Fraser & Chalmers Mechanical & Piping. Grinaker divided its construction and electronics businesses and listed them separately on the JSE, with AVI still enjoying a majority shareholding in Grinaker Construction. Towards the end of the 1990's LTA acquired DSE and Aveng took out Grinaker's majority shareholders and Grinaker delisted from the JSE.

2000 saw Anglo American disposing of its non-core assets which resulted in the sale of its interest in LTA to Aveng. This acquisition was an important step to Aveng's vision to broaden its construction footprint into the developing world.