Keller full-year profit up on recovery in U.S. construction

March 2 (Reuters) - Keller Group Plc (LSE: KLR.L - news) , a British ground engineering contractor, posted a 15 percent rise in full-year pretax profit, helped by a gradual recovery in the United States, its largest market by revenue.

The company, which lays foundations for infrastructure and industrial projects, said full-year pretax profit before exceptional items rose to 85.1 million pounds ($131.05 million) in the year ended Dec. 31, from 74.1 million pounds a year earlier.

Full-year revenue increased 11 percent to 1.599 billion pounds.

The company said gradual improvements in the United States and better operating performance had set the group on course for another year of good progress in 2015. ($1 = 0.6494 pounds) (Reporting by Esha Vaish in Bengaluru; Editing by Anupama Dwivedi)