Mowlem
Mowlem was one of the largest construction and civil engineering companies in the United Kingdom. Carillion bought the firm in 2006.
 | |
| Industry | Construction Business services |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1822 |
| Defunct | 2006 |
| Fate | Acquired |
| Successor | Carillion |
| Headquarters | London, England |
Key people | Joe Darby, (Chairman) Sir John Gains, (CEO) |
Number of employees | 25,600 |
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]
Major projects
Major projects undertaken by or involving Mowlem included:
- Billingsgate Fish Market completed in 1874[11]
- Clerkenwell Road completed in 1878[12]
- Smithfield Fruit Market completed in 1882[11]
- Imperial Institute completed in 1887[11]
- Woolwich Ferry terminals opened in 1889[13]
- Liverpool Street station and the Great Eastern Hotel completed in 1891[11]
- Institution of Civil Engineers building completed in 1911[14]
- Admiralty Arch completed in 1912[11]
- Port of London Authority Building completed in 1919[15]
- Bush House completed in 1923[16]
- London Post Office Railway completed in 1927[17]
- Piccadilly Circus tube station completed in 1928[14]
- Battersea Power Station completed in 1933[16]
- Mulberry harbour units completed in 1943[3]
- Reconstruction works at Buckingham Palace in 1943 following bomb damage[15]
- Reconstruction of the House of Commons in 1947 also following bomb damage[15]
- William Girling Reservoir completed in 1951[18]
- Hunterston A nuclear power station completed in 1957[19]
- Strand underpass completed in 1962[16]
- Millbank Tower completed in 1963[14]
- Reconstruction of 10 Downing Street in 1963[15]
- Marine terminal for a joint venture of Esso and Pappas Petroleum in Thessaloniki completed in 1965[20]
- New altar for Westminster Abbey in 1966[14]
- London Bridge completed in 1972[21]
- Natwest Tower completed in 1979[22]
- Mount Pleasant Airfield completed in 1986[23]
- Docklands Light Railway completed in 1987[24]
- Manchester Metrolink completed in 1991[25]
- Refurbishment of Thames House completed in 1994[26]
- Refurbishment of the Albert Memorial completed in 1998[27]
- Expansion of James Cook University Hospital completed in 2003[28]
- Spinnaker Tower completed in 2005[29]
- Twickenham Stadium South Stand completed in 2006[30]
- Dublin Port Tunnel completed in 2006[31]
Mowlem was also the owner and developer of London City Airport completed in 1986.[32]
See also
- John Mowlem - Biography of the founder of the company
- George Burt - Biography of his successor as manager of the company
- Edgar Beck - Biography of chairman then president between 1961-2000
- Frank Baines History of John Mowlem unpublished typescript history held at London Metropolitan Archives
References
- "Burt, Sir John Mowlem, Kt". National Maritime Museum Cornwall. NMMC. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- Mowlem 1822–1972 – Mowlem Public Relations brochure, 1972, p.3
- Hartcup, p. 94
- "Mowlem carves up construction division". Manchester Evening News. 30 June 2005. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- "Construction group John Mowlem". The Times. 1977.
- "Mersey Notes" (PDF). Liverpool Nautical Research Society. 1 January 1980. p. 94. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- New Firm Papua New Guinea Post-Courier 20 October 1970 page 19
- Notes on Financial Times Actuaries Index 1986 Archived 2005-01-07 at the Wayback Machine
- Wellings, Fred: Dictionary of British Housebuilders (2006) Troubador. ISBN 978-0-9552965-0-5,
- Construction firms agree takeover BBC News, 2006
- Mowlem 1822–1972 – Mowlem Public Relations brochure, 1972, p.4
- 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.
- History of the Woolwich Ferry, Royal Borough of Greenwich. Retrieved: 8 December 2015.
- Mowlem 1822–1972 – Mowlem Public Relations brochure, 1972, p.7
- Mowlem 1822–1972 – Mowlem Public Relations brochure, 1972, p.8
- Mowlem 1822–1972 – Mowlem Public Relations brochure, 1972, p.6
- "Sign in to Photo Forums". time-capsules.co.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
- Smith, Denis (2001). Civil Engineering Heritage: London and the Thames Valley, p.70. ISBN 9780727728760. Retrieved 25 November 2008.
- "nuclear-sc-wl". industcards.com. Archived from the original on 19 July 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
- Civil Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers, 1966, p. 59
- Mowlem 1822–1972 – Mowlem Public Relations brochure, 1972, p.9
- Mowlem dives into the red Evening Standard, 4 February 2005
- "About the Falklands". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
- "Docklands Light Railway (D.L.R.)". Exploring 20th Century London. Archived from the original on 15 March 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
- "Past, Present and Future" (PDF). Metrolink. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
- "Thames House and Vauxhall Cross". National Audit Office. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
- "Mowlem for Albert". Construction News. 3 November 1994. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
- "Moving three hospitals is a truly major operation". The Journal. 9 December 2003. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
- "Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth - Building #406". skyscrapernews.com. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
- "Steel conversion for Twickenham". New Steel Construction. 1 September 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
- "Dublin Port Tunnel settlement - TunnelTalk". tunneltalk.com. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
- Mowlem sighs with relief on pounds 15.5m disposal The Guardian, 31 October 1995
Sources
- Hartcup, Guy (2011). Code Name Mulberry: The Planning Building and Operation of the Normandy Harbours. Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1848845589.
- Mowlem 1822–1972 – Mowlem Public Relations brochure, 1972
