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Taylor Woodrow Construction

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Taylor Woodrow Construction
Company typeSubsidiary of Vinci SA
IndustryCivil engineering
Founded1937
HeadquartersLondon, England
Key people
Jerome Stubler, Chairman[1]

Gilles Godard, CEO[2]

Julian Gatward, MD[2]
Revenue£21.3 million (2019)[3]
£0.8 million (2019)[3]
£0.6 million (2019)[3]
Number of employees
176 (2019)[3]
ParentVinci SA
Websitewww.taylorwoodrow.com

Taylor Woodrow Construction, branded as Taylor Woodrow, is a UK-based civil engineering contractor and one of four operating divisions of Vinci Construction UK.[4] The business was launched in 2011, combining civil engineering operations from the former Taylor Woodrow group and from Vinci UK - formerly Norwest Holst.

Taylor Woodrow was one of the largest housebuilding and general construction companies in Britain. It merged with rival George Wimpey in July 2007 to create the Taylor Wimpey housebuilding group. In September 2008, Taylor Woodrow Construction was acquired by Vinci plc from Taylor Wimpey; initially branded as part of Vinci Construction, the civil engineering division reverted to the name Taylor Woodrow Construction in 2011 to reflect its civil engineering heritage.

History

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Taylor Woodrow

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Early years

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The Taylor Woodrow business was founded in Blackpool in 1921 as a housebuilder by Frank Taylor and his uncle, Jack Woodrow, creating the Taylor Woodrow name.[5][6] In 1930, Taylor moved to London and his business eventually established headquarters in Southall.[7] In 1935, the housebuilding business was floated on the London Stock Exchange as Taylor Woodrow Estates.[8] In 1937, Taylor Woodrow Construction was formed and, after a modest start, the company was soon engaged in defence work. With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, private housing development stopped, and for six years Taylor Woodrow built military camps, airfields and factories, and worked on the Mulberry harbour units.[6]

1945–2008

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By 1945, Taylor Woodrow had become a substantial construction business, and it expanded into domestic civil construction work and internationally, working in East Africa (it was involved in the notorious Groundnut Scheme), then west and South Africa and, in the 1950s, Australia, Canada and the middle east.[6] In the UK, Taylor Woodrow Construction became a prominent contractor in the power generation industry, building first conventional power stations and then the world's first commercial nuclear power station, Calder Hall. Hartlepool, Hinkley Point A, Wylfa and Sizewell A followed. In the private sector, notable contracts included terminal buildings at London Heathrow airport, and the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral.[6]

Work in the middle east helped grow Taylor Woodrow’s international construction business and by the mid 1970s overseas profits accounted for two thirds of group profits. The centrepiece was the joint venture with Costain to build the dry docks at Port Rashid, Dubai, described as "the largest single overseas contract ever undertaken by the British construction industry".[9]

However, by the 1980s, middle east construction was declining and the parent Taylor Woodrow group was increasingly focused on housebuilding and the commercial property market.[10] Taylor Woodrow Construction was part of the Channel Tunnel consortium (completed in 1994) but its operations were less important to the group. A series of mergers and acquisitions culminated in the £6 billion merger with George Wimpey forming Taylor Wimpey in March 2007,[11] and just over a year later, in September 2008, Vinci plc, the British subsidiary of France's Vinci SA, acquired Taylor Woodrow Construction from Taylor Wimpey for £74m.[12][13]

Notable projects undertaken

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Major projects completed by Taylor Woodrow included:

Vinci Construction UK and predecessors

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Today's Vinci Construction UK started as a concrete specialist, Holst & Co, founded in 1918 in London by Danish civil engineers Knud Holst and Christian Lunoe. Five years later, in Liverpool, another business, Norwest Construction was founded in Liverpool. The two businesses merged in 1969 to form Norwest Holst, which - during the 1980s - was the largest privately owned construction group in the UK.[30]

In 1991, a French company, SGE, acquired a majority shareholding in Norwest Holst, which, in 2002, was renamed Vinci plc and acquired London-based contractor Crispin & Borst. Weaver plc was acquired in 2007.[30]

Taylor Woodrow Construction today

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In early 2009, Vinci planned to reorganise all UK operations under one name,[5] but the Taylor Woodrow brand was eventually retained (though the company's 'teamwork' logo was retained by Taylor Wimpey).[31] In 2011, the civil engineering division of Vinci Construction UK was rebranded as Taylor Woodrow in recognition of "its world-class heritage in civil engineering projects".[30]

In 2021, Taylor Woodrow Construction generated a profit of £8.6m on revenues of £319m. The business had increased its focus on new energy markets and won four commissions from Transport for London for pre-construction work on stations in London.[32]

Notable projects undertaken

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Major projects completed by Taylor Woodrow Construction following the reorganisation and rebranding included:

Taylor Woodrow Construction is also involved in HS2 lots N1 and N2, working as part of joint venture, due to complete in 2031.[44]

Notes

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  1. ^ This project used "ultra-low" carbon concrete, a product Vinci Construction had been pioneering.[42]

References

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  1. ^ "Taylor Woodrow return to profit lifts Vinci UK". Construction Enquiror. 30 March 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b "About us: Management Team". Taylor Woodrow. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "Taylor Woodrow Construction Limited Annual Report for the Year ended 31 December 2019". Companies House. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  4. ^ "About us". Vinci Construction UK. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  5. ^ a b Whitten, Nick (23 January 2009). "End of an era for Taylor Woodrow". Construction News. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e Jenkins, Alan (1971). On Site 1921-71. Heinemann:London. p. 226p. ISBN 0-434-90890-8.
  7. ^ 'Norwood, including Southall: Economic and social history', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 4: Harmondsworth, Hayes, Norwood with Southall, Hillingdon with Uxbridge, Ickenham, Northolt, Perivale, Ruislip, Edgware, Harrow with Pinner (1971), pp. 45-48 Date accessed: 9 October 2010
  8. ^ Company prospectus
  9. ^ a b Jenkins, Alan (1980). Built on Teamwork - Sequel to On Site. Heinemann:London. p. 245p. ISBN 0-434-37289-7.
  10. ^ Wellings, Fred: Dictionary of British Housebuilders (2006) Troubador. ISBN 978-0-9552965-0-5
  11. ^ "BBC NEWS - Business - Wimpey and Woodrow agree to merge". bbc.co.uk. 26 March 2007. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  12. ^ McKenna, John (10 September 2008). "Acquisition: Vinci buys Taylor Woodrow". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  13. ^ "VINCI strengthens position in the UK by acquiring Taylor Woodrow Construction". VINCI.com. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  14. ^ Guy Hartup, Code Name Mulberry: The Planning Building and Operation of the Normandy Harbours, Page 94
  15. ^ Lambirth, Andrew (6 May 1996). "Obituary: Rodney Thomas". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  16. ^ "Calder Hall Nuclear Power Station". Engineering Times. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  17. ^ a b c d "The UK Magnox and AGR Power Station Projects, p. 22" (PDF). Manchester University. Retrieved 19 September 2010.[permanent dead link]
  18. ^ "London's Town Halls". Historic England. p. 207. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  19. ^ "1968: Three die as tower block collapses". BBC. 16 May 1968. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  20. ^ Altman, John (2016). In the Nick of Time - The Autobiography of John Altman, EastEnders' Nick Cotton. John Blake Publishing. ISBN 978-1786062567.
  21. ^ "Civic Trust Awards in Wolverhampton". History Website. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  22. ^ Times Tuesday April 6 1971, page 20
  23. ^ "EuroTunnel". Structurae. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  24. ^ "Stadium". History. Middlesbrough Football Club. Archived from the original on 11 December 2006. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  25. ^ Scher, Peter (August 2001). "Project: Bucks fizz". Hospitality Design (republished by FindArticles.com). Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  26. ^ "Royal Albert Hall". BDP. Archived from the original on 15 April 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  27. ^ "Princess Royal University Hospital Fact Sheet". Bromley Hospitals. Archived from the original on 8 February 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  28. ^ "Senedd Project History: 2003". National Assembly for Wales. Archived from the original on 6 November 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  29. ^ Richardson, Ben (30 May 2006). "New Western Ticket Hall opens at King's Cross St Pancras". Arup. Archived from the original on 30 June 2006. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  30. ^ a b c "About us: Heritage". Vinci Construction. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  31. ^ Gardiner, Joey (12 September 2008). "Taywood loses tug-of-war for logo". Building. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  32. ^ Morby, Aaron (9 May 2022). "Vinci Construction UK profit doubles to £24m". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  33. ^ "King's Cross Station Western Concourse Contract". Network Rail. 12 May 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  34. ^ "Victoria Station ticket hall opens". New Civil Engineer. 17 January 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  35. ^ "Tottenham Court Road London". SAS Special Projects. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  36. ^ "Allerton waste plant stays on track". Construction Index. 13 September 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  37. ^ "Old Oak Common Elizabeth Line depot opens". Railway Gazette. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  38. ^ "Transformation of White Hart Lane station moves a step closer". Transport for London. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  39. ^ "£40 million Norwich Crown Point upgrade under way". Rail Magazine. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  40. ^ "BBMV hands over latest completed Crossrail station". Construction Enquirer. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  41. ^ "Taylor Woodrow starts on £100m recycling centre". Construction Enquirer. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  42. ^ "'Ultra-low' carbon concrete poured at London sustainable waste hub". Ground Engineering. 17 January 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  43. ^ "Old Oak Common: No Ordinary Station". RAIL. No. 909. 15 July 2020. pp. 48–9.
  44. ^ "HS2 contracts worth £6.6bn awarded by UK government". The Guardian. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
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