Taylor Woodrow History

Today Taylor Woodrow is a FTSE Top 200 company, and one of the UK's leading housing and development companies under its Bryant Homes brand.

It also has significant interests in North America where it builds homes in Florida, Texas, California, Arizona and Toronto, a successful and growing housing operation in Spain and a construction arm.

2000s

2007 - Ian Smith joins Taylor Woodrow as the company's Chief Executive Officer in January 2007.
2004 - The company’s transformation into a leading housebuilder was publicly acknowledged by the UK building industry when Taylor Woodrow was declared ‘Major Housebuilder Of The Year’ by Building Magazine.
2003 - In October 2003, Taylor Woodrow acquired Wilson Connolly for £499 million in the UK's largest housing transaction ever.
2002 - The year starts with the successful launch of a £250m, 10 year unsecured sterling bond. Iain Napier joins as our new Chief Executive. A regional restructure sees the 'central office' move to Solihull.
2001 - We launched a successful takeover for the Bryant Group to supplement our UK housing and construction business.
2000 - A strategic review begins. Our construction business quits low return/high risk activities. Greenham Trading and Greenham Construction Materials are sold.

1990s

1990 - We continue our international investment strategy dedicated to developing our business in housing, property and construction.

1980s

1980 - We become a founder member of the Channel Tunnel consortium. Housing in Canada, Florida and California continues to develop.

1970s

1979 - Dubai Dry Dock is opened by HM The Queen.
1972 - In Australia, the Garden Island Causeway part of the three-mile access link between the island and the mainland of Western Australia is completed.
1971 - We celebrate our Golden Jubilee. New projects include a multi-million pound project to ease traffic congestion at Staples Corner.
1970 - The redevelopment of London's St Katharine Docks begins. It is described as 'one of the most ambitious private enterprise developments since the Great Fire'.

1960s

1966 - The Taywood 'Pilemaster' wins the Queens Award to Industry. The silent vibrationless pile driver has already been used on the Hendon motorway project, a Manchester office block and a bank in Belfast. Hong Kong's Ocean Terminal opens.
1960 - Taylor Woodrow is appointed as main contractor to build the New Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King at Liverpool. We win 'Home of the Year' for the Sandown Bungalow which is shown at the New Homes Exhibition in Westminster.

1950s

1954 - We are now running over 250 projects around the world. Our new head office in Southall is finished. Work begins on Donnington Power Station, and Calder Hall Nuclear Power Station is completed.
1953 - We invest in housing and property development in Canada through the purchase of Monarch Mortgage & Investments Ltd.

1940s

1948 - We are now building houses, schools and factories in England, America, New York and Africa. On the Gold Coast, the Takordi harbour extension starts.
1945 - We now have 7 subsidiaries, 3 associate companies in the US. We look for new markets while continuing to build homes in the US. In London, Atlantic House is built - the first major reconstruction in the City of London since the bombing.
1942 - Acquire Greenham, entering the merchant trading and minerals business. Contribute to the war effort through the collaborated construction of the Mulberry Ports, used in France after the D-day landings. "Piers for Use on Beaches - they must float up and down with the tide." - Winston Churchill.

1930s

1939 - The Second World War breaks out. Frank Taylor orders that all houses near completion should be finished and no further work should be done on remaining properties. Our team is evacuated from Southall to Kidlington near Oxford. The skills used in our work on the Royal Ordnance Factories, airfields and a penicillin factory raise our profile.
1937 - Taylor Woodrow Construction Ltd is formed.
1935 - Taylor Woodrow becomes a limited company with a capital of £3 million. Housing development begins in the USA and contracting activity starts.
1930 - Commercial opportunities prompt Taylor Woodrow to move to Hayes, Middlesex to build 1200 homes on the Grange Park Estate. By April 1931 homes are being completed and passed for habitation at the rate of four a day.

1920s

1921 - 16-year old Frank Taylor borrows £100 to build 2 houses in Blackpool. Too young to form his own company, his uncle Jack Woodrow lent his name to the business and 'Taylor Woodrow' was born. Frank Taylor made 100% profit on this first venture.