Helping to build Britain from the rubble of war – how J. Murphy & Sons found success

The founder of J. Murphy & Sons Limited, John Murphy, started out struggling to find work in Ireland where unemployment was rife. After founding his construction company in the 1950s, Murphy cut his teeth helping to rebuild Britain after the second world war.

By the time of his death in 2009, Murphy was one of the wealthiest men in Britain. Let’s look back at the rise of J. Murphy & Sons and how they got to where they are today…

John James Murphy was born on the 5th of October 1913 in Loughmark, County Kerry, where according to his obituary, he struggled to find work after leaving school at 15.

By the late 1930s, Murphy left Ireland in search of employment in England.

His travels found him in London, where he found work amidst a crumbling Britain during the second world war, contracted to remove obstacles from the English Channel.

Larger contracts soon began to mount, as the demand for construction projects during the war increased, with Murphy becoming involved in airfield construction and repairing bomb-damaged runways.

By 1951, he established J. Murphy & Sons Limited, well placed to begin life for the company on post-war reconstruction.

However the focus soon switched to the specialist reconstruction of the country’s electrical infrastructure, including the growing General Post Office (GPO) telephone cable network.

The 1950s marked the introduction of motorways, with the first set to open in the latter part of the decade, following the 1936 Trunk Roads Act which set about creating a national strategic road network.

An early realisation of the need for ready mixed concrete, which fuelled the green light for motorway construction led to a  long standing involvement supplying the product through premixed concrete for Murphy.

This included sourcing sea-dredged aggregates using the company owned dredger and wharf facility at Charlton.

By the 1960s, Murphy became involved in road expansion programmes, water services and Post Office cable installation.

In 1965, Murphy Pipelines was established, offering design and construction services for gas, oil, water and process industries.

In the 1970s and beyond, following the discovery of oil and gas in the North Sea marked a significant shift for UK energy, as the country began to move away from coal.

Murphy was at the forefront of this emerging infrastructure milestone, with the introduction of natural gas pipelines in the UK and Ireland, which the company would soon make a significant contribution to in 1989 and John Murphy would go on to be elected as a fellow, by the Institute of Gas Engineers.

The 1970s also saw the introduction of Murphy’s venture into National Rail reconstruction projects, first with British Rail and then to Network Rail.

Infrastructure projects began to build more as the company began working closely with Thames Water, which began life in 1974. 

Building and property development in the private and public sectors also represented a major pillar for the company during the decade.

Headquartered at Highbury Corner, London became a cornerstone of major developments for Murphy in the 1980s, with the construction of a tunnel to link Stansted Airport to the rail network.

However, in 1984 the firm relocated to a new and current headquarters at Hiview House in Kentish Town.

In the 90s, major projects in London continued, with work on the London water ring main starting in 1994, for which the company won the British Construction Industry award in the civil engineering category.

Then in 1995, a new University College Cork (UCC) laboratory was named after John Murphy, due to the long standing support of the college’s department of civil and environmental engineering.

Projects came think and fast in the 2000s, including:

• Construction of the Channel Tunnel rail link in a joint venture with Hochtief.
• Design and construction of the £150 million Brecon to Tirley gas pipeline in 2005. 
• The major contract for constructing major cable tunnels and substations for the Olympic Park in 2006.
• Upgrading the Blackwall Tunnel and Angel Underground Station. 
• Development of south concourse, Liverpool, Lime Street.

On 7 May 2009, John Murphy passed away at the age of 95 at his home in London surrounded by his family.

At the time of his death he was one of Britain’s wealthiest men, ranking around 300 in the Sunday Times rich list, with an estimated personal worth of £190 million.

However, his legacy endured with the formation of Canadian joint venture, Surerus Murphy (SMJV), and a joint venture with Hochtief to secure work on Crossrail including the £250 million tunnel section between Plumstead and North Woolwich.

Murphy then entered a new phase in 2016 focusing on  four main sectors – rail, water, power and natural resources, after celebrating 60 years in 2011.

With the years of success at the company, it’s easy to overlook the humble beginnings from which the company began life.

The founder’s grandson, John Murphy, leads the company to this day, as the company continues to move into new sectors, and the recent announcement of another year of growth in its latest financial statement. 

The firm’s CEO said: “My Grandfather would be proud of where the business is today. He would challenge us to continue to develop and progress the business but not to lose sight of the importance of profitability, cash, customers and people.”

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