Our History

Our History

1. 1950s

   Our story begins here. In the late 1950s, our founder John Wigley rented a 100-acre farm in Barby for his farming aspirations, which had initially been purchased for £4,000, and he subsequently began hiring out his farming services.

2. 1960s

   Wigley Contracts (Barby) Ltd was incorporated in 1964. Throughout the 1960s, plant hire became very busy, and services expanded to large earth-moving plant hire. Wigley worked on large road building projects across the UK and secured civil engineering and steel fabrication contracts for JCB & Caterpillar.

3. 1970s

   The 1970s saw the beginnings of the business model we operate today. Wigley purchased the north side of the Alfred Herbert Works – the building blocks of a commercial property portfolio.

4. 1980s

   Until now, the primary focus of Wigley was in steel fabrications. In the 1980s, John saw an opportunity – he phased out the fabrication side of the business to shift his focus into industrial property. Edgwick Park developments continued in this time.

5. 1990s

   The Wigley portfolio really grew in this time. Sandy Lane Industrial Estate, Henley Industrial Park and Golf Course Lane were acquired, and remained at the core of the portfolio for over 30 years.

6. 2000s

   Wigley transformed in the 2000s, and the next generation came to the fore. Robert Wigley became Managing Director in 2005 and 2008 saw the sad passing of both founders, John Wigley and Gordon Davies.

7. 2010s

   The third generation joined the family business during this period, and our group of companies diversified into property management services and critical business support. We celebrated our 50th birthday, expanded our offices twice and welcomed many new colleagues.

8. 2020s

   The 2020s has changed the way many businesses work – and Wigley is no different. Despite the challenges of the pandemic , we delivered key projects and have seen steady demand for warehouse space, allowing our portfolio to expand. In 2024, our commercial property was placed in its own limited company – Tetra Real Estate – with day-to-day operations carefully managed by a highly skilled team.

9. Today

   Although Wigley continues to evolve and grow, it proudly remains wholly family owned. Our mission is clear: to enable the long-term growth of our asset portfolio, businesses and partnerships, while empowering our people to achieve their potential.