Grace's Guide
British Industrial History
Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 132,615 pages of information and 209,984 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.
Sir Alfred McAlpine and Son
From Graces Guide
1935 Sir Alfred McAlpine (1881–1944) and his son Alfred James (Jimmie) (1908–1991) took over the McAlpine (Midland) subsidiary of Sir Robert McAlpine and Sons rather than close it, giving up any interests in the parent company.
1940 the Midlands name was transferred back to the parent company. The company of Sir Alfred McAlpine and Son was formed
WWII Demand for construction work enabled the company to prosper
1944 Jimmie McAlpine became chairman on the death of his father
Post-war: constructed airfields, opencast coal mines, power stations, industrial buildings.
Later 1950s: Motorways started to become an important source of income for the company - the company built these first in the Belfast region
1961 Constructed 26 miles of the M6 - the size of the contract made this a major risk for thc company.
1985 Jimmie retired and his surviving son, Robert James McAlpine, became chairman.
See Also
Sources of Information
- Biography of Alfred James McAlpine, ODNB [1]