70 Years of History Image

70 years of History

The history of Fitzgerald Contractors is one of energy, consistency and partnership. The company started out from modest beginnings in Birmingham when Thomas Fitzgerald began delivering contracts in 1948.

Fast forward to today and the company has grown into a highly respected privately-owned organisation and is now one of the UK’s leading specialist civil engineering contractors delivering complex infrastructure schemes and high-quality landmark projects in the UK’s major cities.

1948

1948

  • The company is established in Birmingham by Irish native Thomas Fitzgerald and focuses on delivering general civil engineering contracts across the region
1980s

1980

  • Fitzgerald Fabricators was incorporated in 1980 and for 7 years worked from its offices and depot in Cygnet Lane, Pensnett, West Midlands

1982

  • As workload increased for a range of new public sector clients, the company relocated to a much larger office on Bromley Lane, Kingswinford, and at this time the company name changed to Thomas Fitzgerald Limited

1987

  • As a result of continued growth, the company moved to new premises on Cheston Road, Aston, where the business continues to flourish and has remained at these premises to the present day. At this time the company name was changed to Fitzgerald Contractors Limited to provide a better identity and association with the works being undertaken
1990s

1993

  • The company became a part of the Thomas Vale Group and continued to deliver highways schemes throughout the Midlands predominantly for Local Authorities, as well as expanding operations to other areas of the UK
  • Fitzgerald continued to operate as an independent company within the Thomas Vale Group and over the years has evolved its capability to undertake a broad range of infrastructure projects encompassing groundworks, civil engineering structures, roads, drainage, car parks, pedestrianisation, hard landscaping, public realm and associated specialist areas such as street lighting and road signage
2000s

2002

  • The company delivers contracts across the East Midlands working from Castle Donnington, Melbourne and Shardlow in Derbyshire

2007

  • Richard Morris retires as Managing Director serving over 20 years at the helm

2008

  • Nick Coley was appointed as Managing Director of Fitzgerald Contractors to oversee the growth and development of the business as part of the Thomas Vale Group and established a core of highly motivated and enthusiastic people to help deliver projects throughout the UK

2009

  • A strategy is implemented to widen the client base from the traditional Local Authorities to also include Developers, Highways England and also working as a subcontractor to blue chip Main Contractors
  • David Hill joins the business as Commercial Director
2010s

2010

  • To meet changing client requirements Fitzgerald developed a design and construct capability, offering clients a ‘turn-key’ solution for the delivery of complex infrastructure schemes

2011

  • Alex Fish joins the business as Operations Director

2012

  • The business is acquired along with its parent company Thomas Vale by Bouygues Bâtiment International
  • The business undertakes its first significant housing scheme, a design and construct project at Silverwoods Park, Kidderminster

2013

  • Fitzgerald Contractors Ltd once again became a wholly independent company following a buyout led by Managing Director Nick Coley

2014

  • Turnover reaches record levels at over £33 million
  • Fitzgerald Contractors partner with St. Mary’s Hospice as their chosen charity and complete the first ‘Treecycling’ scheme, raising £5,555

2015

  • Fitzgerald Contractors are appointed by Birmingham City Council as one of its preferred highways improvements contractors for the following four years. Fitzgerald Contractors are one of only two contractors who are appointed under all four lots of the Framework, which is estimated to be a £200m works programme

2016

  • Fitzgerald are awarded ‘The Birmingham Business Charter for Social Responsibility’
  • The award recognises companies who have not only acknowledged the importance of corporate social responsibility, but have committed through an accredited action plan to help improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of Birmingham’s citizens

2017

  • Named in the prestigious annual Financial Times ‘1,000 of Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies’
  • Fitzgerald grow capability in the retail sector to take on larger contracts, successfully completing Bicester Village highways scheme – at a value of £9.1M is our largest project undertaken to date

2018

  • Fitzgerald reaches the platinum anniversary of 70 successful years in business with the milestone being reached as a result of the passion and commitment of our past and present employees
  • Following an online industry-wide vote the company wins the Construction Enquirer’s ‘Best Specialist Contractor to Work With’ Award
  • Fitzgerald Contractors continues to support Birmingham St. Mary’s Hospice as their charity partner. The annual ‘Treecycling’ campaign whereby Christmas trees are collected in the West Midlands area for a donation from residential properties raised over £70,000 in 2018, and in the last 5 years Fitzgerald have helped to raise over £200,000 since we became involved
2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & The Future

2019

  • Fitzgerald Contractors successfully resecure its place on Warwickshire County Council’s 2 year Framework Contract for Provision of Engineering Construction Works
  • The company deliver two significant High Speed Two (HS2) schemes as part of the enabling works for Area North. The £7m Streethay Roadheads scheme in Staffordshire for client Laing Murphy (LM) JV and a £3.5m multi-utilities diversion design and build contract at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire
  • Fitzgerald deliver a £7million scheme in partnership with Bouygues UK for Birmingham City Council involving the installation of high-specification paving with 12,500m2 of granite setts ethically sourced and individually laid by our skilled paviors, the scheme’s construction is one of Europe’s largest granite paving schemes undertaken in 2019. Our significant contribution was recognised at the Insider West Midlands Property Awards 2019 by winning the prestigious ‘Construction Project of the Year’ category
  • We are extremely proud to recognise the loyal service of a number of our employees whose fantastic efforts have helped to shape our company and contribute to its success. In 2019 Chris Petford reached 27 years, Steve Jones has been with us for 28 years and our longest serving employee, John Dineen, to date has served an amazing 36 years

2020 – 2021

  • Fitzgerald is awarded a coveted place on a first of its kind government 7 year construction framework. The company will deliver a range of civil engineering works for the Crown Commercial Services Construction Works and Associated Services Framework
  • Fitzgerald are announced as category winners at Construction News Awards ceremony, seeing off strong competition to be named ‘Project of the Year (under £20m) for our Centenary Square scheme
  • We are appointed to deliver two highways schemes for Sprint bus route in Birmingham, delivering both the A45 for Morgan Sindall and A34 Packages B and C for Transport for West Midlands – worth  a combined £15 million
  • The company is once again successfully appointed as contractor on the Black Country Framework Contract for Minor Construction Works

2022

  • The ownership of Fitzgerald Contractors is transferred into an Employee Ownership Trust, it will safeguard the future and independence of the company for many years to come
  • Fitzgerald Contractors win a Merit Grade in the 2022 British Safety Council International Safety Awards – a staggering achievement of 27 consecutive years of winning this accolade
  • Our A45 Sprint highway infrastructure scheme in Birmingham successfully completes, at a value of £10.7 million it is the largest scheme we have completed in the past 9 years
  • The company continue to strengthen existing relationships with public authorities and private companies, adding to our client base by working for the first time with Wychavon District Council, IM Properties, TSL, Speller Metcalfe and John Sisk & Son

The Future

We are committed to finding safe, efficient and more sustainable ways to deliver our projects with the recruitment, development and retention of our highly skilled teams being central to how we will progress into the future.

The company are currently very well placed to play a pivotal role in the growth and prosperity of Birmingham, the Midlands and beyond, through crucial national infrastructure schemes such as HS2 enabling and main works, the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and more.

Fitzgerald want to create a working environment for people to thrive and deliver operational performances that we can be proud of, and which contributes positively to the communities in which we work.