Mabey and Johnson
of London, builders merchants
of Reading, bridge builders, a private company
1923 Dissolution of the Partnership between Guy Mabey and George James Johnson, carrying on business as Builders' Merchants, at 4, Cullum-street, in the city of London, under the style or firm of MABEY AND JOHNSON; Guy Mabey will carry on the said business alone under the style of Mabey and Johnson.[1]
1943 The business was incorporated to acquire the Builders Merchants business carried on by Guy Mabey as Mabey and Johnson.[2]
Post WWII: Bevil Mabey expanded the company quickly by buying spare Bailey bridges from the British Army[3]
1966 Mabey and Johnson acquired Fairfield's Chepstow Bridge and Constructional Works that enabled the firm to supply larger bridges and thereby access a wider international market. The company had contracts for steelwork for 2 power stations and several bridges[4]. This (presumably) became Fairfield-Mabey.
Recognising that the original design of Bailey Bridge was capable of further development to broaden its range of uses, the company developed the Mabey Super Bailey Bridge system.
Achievements included the Erskine Bridge in Glasgow (1971), the Avonmouth Viaduct (1975), a large section of the Humber Bridge (1981), Anglesey’s Britannia Bridge (1980) and more recently 46 bridges for the M6 Toll (2003).
1981 Acquired drop-forging business of Record Ridgway, previously carried on by Platts Forgings[5]
1985 Acquired by Mabey Holdings Ltd
1987 Supplied pre-fabricated steel bridging to Indonesia[6]
1997 British project to provide the Philippines with 218 bridges to be built by Mabey and Johnson[7]
1998 Queen's Award for export[8]
1998 The Compact Rapid Reaction Bridge System was sent to Central America after Hurricane Mitch[9]
2002 Queen's Award for Enterprise[10]