Alfred McAlpine
Encyclopedia
Alfred McAlpine plc was a British
construction firm headquartered in London. It was a major road builder, and constructed over 10% of Britain's motorways, including the M6 Toll
(as part of the CAMBBA consortium). It was listed on the London Stock Exchange
but was acquired by Carillion in 2008.
and he ran the operations of Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd in the north west of England. In 1935, following the death of Sir Robert and his eldest son, Alfred ran the north west independently although the legal separation was not completed until 1940 when Sir Alfred McAlpine & Son was formed. Under a non-compete agreement with its former parent company, Sir Alfred McAlpine confined itself to civil engineering and to the north west of England.
McAlpine floated on the London Stock Exchange
in 1958 under the name Marchwiel Holdings, only changing its public name to Alfred McAlpine PLC in 1985.
This followed the decision in 1983 to end the non-compete agreement with Robert McAlpine allowing the firm to expand geographically.
McAlpine's status as a civil engineer was enhanced during the 1960s by its participation in the motorway building programme and the company became one of the country's leading civil engineers. There had been some limited diversification, including the purchase of Penrhyn Quarry
, the country's largest slate works. As the civil engineering market declined in the 1970s, McAlpine sought to diversify further into private housebuilding. Acquisitions included Price Brothers in 1978; Frank Sanderson's Finlas in 1982; and Canberra in 1988. Investments had also been made in the US housing industry. By the end of the 1980s, private housebuilding was contributing the major part of group profits.
Leadership of the Company passed from Alfred to his son Jimmie and then in turn to his son Bobby. In 1990, Bobby brought in an outside chief executive, resigning as Chairman in 1992, by which time the family no longer owned a controlling shareholding. Under new management, there was further concentration on private housebuilding, including the acquisition of Raine Industries. By the late 1990s McAlpine was building over 4,000 houses a year and was one of the industry’s top ten. However, there was increasing speculation over the future of the Company and, in 2001, it sold its housebuilding operations to George Wimpey
. In 2001, it acquired Kennedy Utility Management for £52m. In 2002, it acquired Stiell, a facilities management and information technology network systems business, for £85m. In February 2008, Carillion acquired Alfred McAlpine for £572m.
It also owned Alfred McAlpine Slate, which was the world's largest producer of natural slate
.
completed in 1984, Manchester Central completed in 1986, Devonshire Dock Hall
in Barrow-in-Furness
completed in 1986, the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds
completed in 1996, the Galpharm Stadium
in Huddersfield
, opened in 1994, completed in 1997 (and known as the McAlpine Stadium until 2004), the JJB Stadium
in Wigan
completed in 1999, the Eden Project
in St Austell
completed in 2001 and the M6 Toll
completed in 2003.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
construction firm headquartered in London. It was a major road builder, and constructed over 10% of Britain's motorways, including the M6 Toll
M6 Toll
The M6 Toll , connects M6 Junction 4 at the NEC to M6 Junction 11A at Wolverhampton with of six-lane motorway. The weekday cash cost is £5.30 for a car and £10.60 for a HGV...
(as part of the CAMBBA consortium). It was listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
but was acquired by Carillion in 2008.
History
Alfred McAlpine was one of the sons of 'Concrete' Bob McAlpineSir Robert McAlpine, 1st Baronet
Sir Robert McAlpine, 1st Baronet , known as "Concrete Bob", founded the British construction firm now known as Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd....
and he ran the operations of Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd in the north west of England. In 1935, following the death of Sir Robert and his eldest son, Alfred ran the north west independently although the legal separation was not completed until 1940 when Sir Alfred McAlpine & Son was formed. Under a non-compete agreement with its former parent company, Sir Alfred McAlpine confined itself to civil engineering and to the north west of England.
McAlpine floated on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
in 1958 under the name Marchwiel Holdings, only changing its public name to Alfred McAlpine PLC in 1985.
This followed the decision in 1983 to end the non-compete agreement with Robert McAlpine allowing the firm to expand geographically.
McAlpine's status as a civil engineer was enhanced during the 1960s by its participation in the motorway building programme and the company became one of the country's leading civil engineers. There had been some limited diversification, including the purchase of Penrhyn Quarry
Penrhyn Quarry
The Penrhyn Slate Quarry is a slate quarry located near Bethesda in north Wales. At the end of the nineteenth century it was the world's largest slate quarry; the main pit is nearly long and deep, and it was worked by nearly 3,000 quarrymen. It has since been superseded in size by slate quarries...
, the country's largest slate works. As the civil engineering market declined in the 1970s, McAlpine sought to diversify further into private housebuilding. Acquisitions included Price Brothers in 1978; Frank Sanderson's Finlas in 1982; and Canberra in 1988. Investments had also been made in the US housing industry. By the end of the 1980s, private housebuilding was contributing the major part of group profits.
Leadership of the Company passed from Alfred to his son Jimmie and then in turn to his son Bobby. In 1990, Bobby brought in an outside chief executive, resigning as Chairman in 1992, by which time the family no longer owned a controlling shareholding. Under new management, there was further concentration on private housebuilding, including the acquisition of Raine Industries. By the late 1990s McAlpine was building over 4,000 houses a year and was one of the industry’s top ten. However, there was increasing speculation over the future of the Company and, in 2001, it sold its housebuilding operations to George Wimpey
George Wimpey
George Wimpey was formed in 1880 and, based in Hammersmith, operated largely as a road surfacing contractor. The business was acquired by Godfrey Mitchell in 1919 and he developed it into the UK’s pre-eminent construction and housebuilding firm. In 2007, Wimpey merged with Taylor Woodrow to create...
. In 2001, it acquired Kennedy Utility Management for £52m. In 2002, it acquired Stiell, a facilities management and information technology network systems business, for £85m. In February 2008, Carillion acquired Alfred McAlpine for £572m.
Structure
It had three business streams:- Business Services: facilities management, information systems, asset management and health and safety management.
- Project Services: the Special Projects unit was involved a broad range of commercial, industrial, leisure, educational and medical facilities and the civil engineeringCivil engineeringCivil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
unit was focused primarily on road building. - Infrastructure Services: maintenance, renewal and development services to utility operators in the gas, electricity, water and telecoms sectors and roads maintenance services to local government.
It also owned Alfred McAlpine Slate, which was the world's largest producer of natural slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
.
Major projects
Projects undertaken by the company included Dinorwig Power StationDinorwig power station
The Dinorwig Power Station is a pumped-storage hydroelectric scheme, near Dinorwig, Llanberis in Snowdonia national park in Gwynedd, north Wales...
completed in 1984, Manchester Central completed in 1986, Devonshire Dock Hall
Devonshire Dock Hall
Devonshire Dock Hall is a large shipbuilding hall that forms part of the BAE Systems Submarine Solutions shipyard in the Barrow Island area of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England....
in Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
completed in 1986, the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
completed in 1996, the Galpharm Stadium
Galpharm Stadium
The Galpharm Stadium, formerly the Alfred McAlpine Stadium, is a multi-use sports in Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. Since 1994, it has been the home ground of Huddersfield Town and Super League side, Huddersfield Giants.-The Stadium:...
in Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
, opened in 1994, completed in 1997 (and known as the McAlpine Stadium until 2004), the JJB Stadium
JJB Stadium
The DW Stadium is a sports stadium in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, that is home to Wigan Athletic football club and Wigan Warriors rugby league club....
in Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
completed in 1999, the Eden Project
Eden Project
The Eden Project is a visitor attraction in Cornwall in the United Kingdom, including the world's largest greenhouse. Inside the artificial biomes are plants that are collected from all around the world....
in St Austell
St Austell
St Austell is a civil parish and a major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the south coast approximately ten miles south of Bodmin and 30 miles west of the border with Devon at Saltash...
completed in 2001 and the M6 Toll
M6 Toll
The M6 Toll , connects M6 Junction 4 at the NEC to M6 Junction 11A at Wolverhampton with of six-lane motorway. The weekday cash cost is £5.30 for a car and £10.60 for a HGV...
completed in 2003.