Mowlem
IndustryConstruction
Business services
Founded1822
Defunct2006
FateAcquired
SuccessorCarillion
HeadquartersLondon, England
Key people
Joe Darby, (Chairman)
Sir John Gains, (CEO)
Number of employees
25,600

Mowlem was one of the largest construction and civil engineering companies in the United Kingdom. Carillion bought the firm in 2006.

History

The firm was founded by John Mowlem in 1822, and was continued as a partnership by successive generations of the Mowlem and Burt families, including George Burt, and Sir John Mowlem Burt.[1]

The company was awarded a Royal Warrant in 1902 and went public on the London Stock Exchange in 1924.[2] During the Second World War the company was one of the contractors engaged in building the Mulberry harbour units.[3]

A long-standing national contractor, Mowlem developed a network of regional contracting businesses including Rattee and Kett of Cambridge (bought in 1926); E. Thomas of the west country (bought in 1965) and the formation of a northern region based in Leeds in 1970.[4] The network was further augmented by the acquisition of Ernest Ireland of Bath (bought in 1977),[5] and the acquisition of McTay Engineering of Bromborough, together with its shipbuilding subsidiary McTay Marine (also bought in the late 1970s).[6]

In 1971 the company expanded overseas purchasing a 40% shareholding in an Australian contractor, Barclay Brothers, and later taking 100% ownership. The Australian business, re-branded Barclay Mowlem, expanded into all other Australian mainland states, except South Australia, and into Asia.[7]

Mowlem acquired SGB Group, a supplier of scaffolding, in 1986.[8] Mowlem also bought Unit Construction in 1986, giving the firm a substantial presence in private housebuilding - within two years, sales were up to an annual rate of 1,200. The ensuing recession led to losses of over £180m between 1991 and 1993 and banking covenants came under pressure. The housing division was sold to Beazer in 1994.[9]

Mowlem was bought by Carillion in February 2006.[10]

Major projects

Tower 42 built by Mowlem

Major projects undertaken by or involving Mowlem included:

Mowlem was also the owner and developer of London City Airport completed in 1986.[32]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Burt, Sir John Mowlem, Kt". National Maritime Museum Cornwall. NMMC. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  2. ^ Mowlem 1822–1972 – Mowlem Public Relations brochure, 1972, p.3
  3. ^ a b Hartcup, p. 94
  4. ^ "Mowlem carves up construction division". Manchester Evening News. 30 June 2005. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Construction group John Mowlem". The Times. 1977.
  6. ^ "Mersey Notes" (PDF). Liverpool Nautical Research Society. 1 January 1980. p. 94. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  7. ^ New Firm Papua New Guinea Post-Courier 20 October 1970 page 19
  8. ^ Notes on Financial Times Actuaries Index 1986 Archived 2005-01-07 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Wellings, Fred: Dictionary of British Housebuilders (2006) Troubador. ISBN 978-0-9552965-0-5,
  10. ^ Construction firms agree takeover BBC News, 2006
  11. ^ a b c d e Mowlem 1822–1972 – Mowlem Public Relations brochure, 1972, p.4
  12. ^ Temple, Philip (2008). "'Clerkenwell Road', in Survey of London: Volume 46, South and East Clerkenwell". London: British History Online. pp. 385–406. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  13. ^ History of the Woolwich Ferry, Royal Borough of Greenwich. Retrieved: 8 December 2015.
  14. ^ a b c d Mowlem 1822–1972 – Mowlem Public Relations brochure, 1972, p.7
  15. ^ a b c d Mowlem 1822–1972 – Mowlem Public Relations brochure, 1972, p.8
  16. ^ a b c Mowlem 1822–1972 – Mowlem Public Relations brochure, 1972, p.6
  17. ^ "Sign in to Photo Forums". time-capsules.co.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  18. ^ Smith, Denis (2001). Civil Engineering Heritage: London and the Thames Valley, p.70. Thomas Telford. ISBN 9780727728760. Retrieved 25 November 2008.
  19. ^ "nuclear-sc-wl". industcards.com. Archived from the original on 19 July 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  20. ^ Civil Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers, 1966, p. 59
  21. ^ Mowlem 1822–1972 – Mowlem Public Relations brochure, 1972, p.9
  22. ^ Mowlem dives into the redEvening Standard, 4 February 2005
  23. ^ "About the Falklands". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
  24. ^ "Docklands Light Railway (D.L.R.)". Exploring 20th Century London. Archived from the original on 15 March 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  25. ^ "Past, Present and Future" (PDF). Metrolink. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
  26. ^ "Thames House and Vauxhall Cross". National Audit Office. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  27. ^ "Mowlem for Albert". Construction News. 3 November 1994. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  28. ^ "Moving three hospitals is a truly major operation". The Journal. 9 December 2003. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  29. ^ "Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth - Building #406". skyscrapernews.com. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  30. ^ "Steel conversion for Twickenham". New Steel Construction. 1 September 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  31. ^ "Dublin Port Tunnel settlement - TunnelTalk". tunneltalk.com. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  32. ^ Mowlem sighs with relief on pounds 15.5m disposal The Guardian, 31 October 1995

Sources

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