Alfred McAlpine
| Company type | Public limited company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Construction |
| Predecessor | Sir Robert McAlpine (northwestern branch) |
| Founded | 1940 |
| Founder | Alfred McAlpine |
| Defunct | 2008 |
| Fate | Acquired by Carillion |
| Headquarters | Hooton, Cheshire , United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Key people | Jimmie McAlpine (former chairman), Robert James "Bobby" McAlpine (former chairman) |
| Products | Construction, civil engineering, residential development, facilities management, slate production |
| Parent | Carillion (from 2008) |
Alfred McAlpine plc was a construction company based in Hooton, Cheshire, United Kingdom. It traded publicly on the London Stock Exchange until it was purchased by Carillion in 2008.
The firm was established by Alfred McAlpine, son of the renowned 'Concrete' Bob McAlpine. Its roots trace back to the northwestern branch of Sir Robert McAlpine, which became a separate legal entity in 1940. Eighteen years afterwards, the company went public on the London Stock Exchange under the name Marchwiel Holdings. At that time, Jimmie McAlpine served as chairman, a position he maintained until 1985. Prior to 1983, a non-compete agreement restricted its operations geographically in relation to Sir Robert McAlpine; although these territorial constraints were lifted, some terms between the two companies remained in effect.
During the latter part of the twentieth century, Alfred McAlpine played a significant role in road construction, contributing to more than 10% of Britain's motorway network, including involvement in the M6 Toll through the CAMBBA consortium. The company diversified into residential development during the 1980s and was building over 4,000 homes annually by the late 1990s. Nevertheless, it divested its homebuilding division to competitor George Wimpey in August 2001. Additionally, Alfred McAlpine owned Penrhyn Quarry, the largest slate production facility in the UK; its slate subsidiary became embroiled in a major accounting scandal during the mid-2000s. In February 2008, Alfred McAlpine was acquired by Carillion for £572 million, elevating Carillion to the status of Britain's largest support services provider at that time.
History
Alfred McAlpine, son of 'Concrete' Bob McAlpine, oversaw Sir Robert McAlpine's operations in northwest England. Following Sir Robert’s passing in 1935, Alfred assumed independent control over this region. The business formally separated in 1940 with the creation of Sir Alfred McAlpine & Son. Due to a non-compete clause, Sir Alfred McAlpine concentrated on civil engineering projects within northwest England.
After Alfred's death, leadership passed to his son Jimmie McAlpine. The company went public on the London Stock Exchange in 1958 under the name Marchwiel Holdings and rebranded as Alfred McAlpine PLC in 1985. This change coincided with ending the non-compete agreement with Robert McAlpine, enabling expansion beyond previous geographic limits—although some disputes over terms persisted into the new millennium.
The extensive motorway building programs of the 1960s enhanced Alfred McAlpine's reputation as a civil engineering leader. The firm also diversified by acquiring Penrhyn Quarry, which provided slate occasionally utilized in construction projects. As civil engineering work declined during the 1970s, Alfred McAlpine broadened its focus into private housebuilding through acquisitions such as Price Brothers (1978), Finlas (1982), and Canberra (1988), along with investments in US housing markets. By the late 1980s, housebuilding had become its primary profit source.
In 1985, Jimmie retired and his son Robert James "Bobby" McAlpine succeeded him as chairman. Bobby appointed an external chief executive officer in 1991 and stepped down as chairman in 1992, leading to reduced family involvement. New management emphasized private housebuilding further by acquiring Raine Industries. By the late 1990s, Alfred McAlpine was one of the UK’s top ten housebuilders, constructing more than 4,000 homes annually.
During the mid-1990s, rival firm Amec Foster Wheeler proposed an all-share merger which Alfred McAlpine declined. Speculation about its strategic direction intensified; consequently, it sold its housebuilding business to George Wimpey for £461 million in August 2001 and announced plans to return over £100 million to shareholders. Subsequently, it acquired Kennedy Utility Management for £52 million and Stiell—a facilities management and IT network services company—for £85 million in 2002. By May 2006, Alfred McAlpine had secured its largest facilities management contract managing Mapeley’s UK property portfolio; at this point approximately three-quarters of revenue derived from private sector clients.
In February 2007, an accounting discrepancy amounting to £13 million was uncovered within its slate division due to prolonged managerial fraud; several former executives later admitted to fraudulent activities. This incident triggered speculation about potential disposal of slate operations.
In October 2007, Alfred McAlpine turned down two takeover proposals from rival company Carillion. Nonetheless, Carillion successfully acquired it in February 2008 for £572 million—below their initial offer—thereby becoming Britain’s largest support services enterprise. Following this acquisition, various former Alfred McAlpine business units were divested later that year.
Structure
The enterprise was organized into three primary divisions:
- Business Services: encompassing facilities management, information technology systems, asset oversight, and health and safety administration.
- Project Services: this included Special Projects, which managed commercial, industrial, leisure, educational, and healthcare facility developments; meanwhile, the civil engineering division concentrated predominantly on road construction projects.
- Infrastructure Services: responsible for the upkeep, refurbishment, and expansion of infrastructure for utility providers in sectors such as gas, electricity, water, telecommunications, and local authority road maintenance.
Additionally, the company held ownership of Alfred McAlpine Slate, recognized as the largest natural slate manufacturer worldwide.
Major projects
Significant undertakings comprised the following:
- An engine manufacturing facility for Bristol Aeroplane Company located at Hawthorn (1943)
- Royal Liverpool University Hospital (1969)
- Scammonden Dam (1970)
- New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton (1970)
- Alvito Dam in Portugal (1976)
- Dinorwig Power Station (1984)
- Manchester Central Convention Complex (1986)
- Devonshire Dock Hall at Barrow-in-Furness (1986)
- Jackfield Bridge (1994)
- Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds (1996)
- Kirklees Stadium in Huddersfield (1997; commercially known as McAlpine Stadium until 2004)
- Brick Community Stadium in Wigan (1999)
- Eden Project near St Austell (2001)
- Wythenshawe Hospital (2001)
- Hereford County Hospital (2002)
- M6 Toll motorway (2003)
- Redevelopment of Stoke Mandeville Hospital (2006)
- Elective care facility at Addenbrooke's Hospital (2007)
- Bluestone Holiday Complex in Pembrokeshire (2008)