In this end-of-year special, we invite you to enjoy a hand-picked selection of some of our favourite founder stories of the past 12 months, documenting the birth and rise of some of the biggest and best-known construction companies in the UK and to applaud the people who overcame seemingly impossible odds to achieve their lifelong dream of running their own contractor business.
Construction legends: How Ray O’Rourke built a £4bn business
The Laing O’Rourke construction company of today began life as R. O’Rourke & Son, a modestly sized, regionally based specialist concrete subcontractor, based in East London, founded by Ray O’Rourke and his brother, Des, in 1978.
In this special report, published back in October, we track the birth, growth and success of one of the UK construction industry’s biggest and best-known contractors.
Willmott Dixon – How a £1 job turned into a £3bn orderbook
In this feature-length piece, published back in October, Construction Wave reporter Miles Rebeiro looks back at the rise of Willmott Dixon and how it got to where it is today, tracking its impressive 172-year history back to 1852 where it all started with a young journeyman bricklayer from a small village in Cambridgeshire.
The epic rise of Balfour Beatty
We hear the name every day. Yet, many of us construction folk have never taken the time to learn how Balfour Beatty became the construction powerhouse it is today.
In this feature-length special, Construction Wave founder Andrew Curtin journey’s back to the founding years of Balfour Beatty.
From organ transplants to rocketing revenues – how two brothers built Oliver Connell & Son
From humble beginnings in rural Ireland to expanding into the UK construction market to emergency organ transplants to rocketing revenues decades later, the story of Oliver Connell & Son is one of ambition, hope, drama, and longevity.
In this touching and heartfelt story, journey back to where it all started at a farm in Cullion, County Westmeath, in Ireland, with brothers Oliver and Pat Connell.
Carey Group – Still building on a family foundation
Like most construction businesses, Careys wasn’t an overnight success. It grew from a humble operation started by three brothers more than half a century ago to a £402 million turnover company spanning a range of sectors through decades of toil and care.
Today, Carey Group remains a family-owned construction business under the leadership of CEO Jason Carey. Find out what it took to grow Careys into one of the foremost contractors in the UK construction industry.
John Sisk & Son – How an Irish firm built a legacy out of the Great Famine
In the wake of one of Ireland’s most tumultuous periods, the Great Famine, John Sisk & Son founder John Sisk grew up the orphaned son of a plasterer, using his skills to build churches, banks and hotels.
Now, more than 160 years later, with €1 billion plus in annual turnover and huge projects under its belt, journey back to where it all started for the family-owned firm.
Helping to build Britain from the rubble of war – how J. Murphy & Sons found success
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. In this detailed report, reporter Miles Rebeiro documents the epic rise of J. Murphy & Sons.
The epic rise of Sir Robert McAlpine
Sir Robert McAlpine, born in 1847 in Newarthill, Scotland, was one of the most successful entrepreneurs, ever.
In this special report, Construction Wave founder Andrew Curtin invites you to read how an apprentice bricklayer started his own building business in 1868, by becoming a free subscriber to the platform.
Costain Group – The lasting legacy of a ‘visionary builder’
Costain Group is one of the UK’s oldest and best-known businesses in construction. Like many early founders, Richard Costain had very little to his name other than a great idea and the ambition to see it through.
A century and a half later, Costain have staked a claim in some of the most landmark projects of the 21st Century, including the renovation of King’s Cross St. Pancras and Crossrail.
ISG was founded in 1989. Originally called Stanhope Interiors, it was formed through a management buyout from London developer, Stanhope. The buyout was led by David King, who served as CEO until 2006.
In this article, we document the birth, rise and decline of one of the top 10 contractors in the UK construction sector.
If you have a tip or story idea that fits with our publication, please contact the news editor rory@wavenews.co.uk
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