the austin company

1938 - 2018 celebrating 80 years of delivering excellence

Austin 80 Years Booklet - Wide Column.indd 1 10/07/2018 14:57:03 1938 - 2018 | Delivering 80 years of excellence

Samuel Austin Expansion Ethics

On hearing about the great fire In 1881 he started his own Samuel Austin was a strict in Chicago in 1871, and thinking construction company. By the Methodist. When the ridgepole there might be some worthwhile turn of the century, with business was erected on one of his first work opportunities, Samuel thriving, he devised an ‘undivided buildings, the carpenters tied a Austin set off from his home in responsibility’ contract, with one small fir tree on top signalling Lincolnshire in 1872 to seek his organisation handling all aspects that they were ready for the fortune as a carpenter. of design, engineering and customary reward of a bucket of construction. beer. Seeing the signal, instead of Emigrating to the US he stopped beer Samuel would bring them a off in Cleveland, Ohio, where he This became popular during the 1st more expensive gift – a basket of met a young lady. This encounter World War when manufacturing oranges. His workers soon learned led him to start his carpentry facilities were in demand and that Samuel’s employees did not business and such was his skill and achieving fast deliveries required a drink alcohol on-site. honesty that he never lacked work. high degree of organisation.

Austin 80 Years Booklet - Wide Column.indd 2 10/07/2018 14:57:04 1938 - 2018 | Delivering 80 years of excellence

The Austin Method Innovation UK Office Established

This standard and many more of In 1928, Austin, along with In 1938, Smiths Delivery Vehicles, Samuel’s principles, survive in The Ford, undertook the design based in the North East of the UK, Austin Company to the present and construction of a new noticed Austin’s regular adverts in day. ‘utopian’ town and automobile Fortune magazine. manufacturing plant in Russia –its Continued success led to largest contract at the time. Contact with Austin in Cleveland expansion across the US between resulted in a commission to design the two world wars. During Other significant achievements and build a distribution facility this period the Austin logo was were the development of a in the North of England and the introduced – the ‘pretzel’, as it standard industrial building, the establishment of a UK office on became known. It represented the largest span building in the world 17 August 1938, though the Greek letters alpha and omega, for Boeing, the opening of a steel operation closed for a while during denoting ‘ beginning to end ’ – a fabricating division and the first and after the 2nd World War. complete service. controlled environmental building.

Austin 80 Years Booklet - Wide Column.indd 3 10/07/2018 14:57:05 1938 - 2018 | Delivering 80 years of excellence

Consolidation Remodelling UK Expansion

On reopening, the office became Wells Fargo, Dallas and many This period – based on the involved in designing and building more financial institutions. excellent results achieved in the US facilities for companies such as for Upjohn in Kalamazoo – also British Timken, Black & Decker In the late 1970 ’s a substantial saw the UK office invited to design and Rank Xerox which at that time part of Austin’s turnover came from a major research laboratory in created the largest validated clean commissions for many prestigious Beckenham for The Wellcome room in Europe. companies including Marathon Foundation Ltd. Oil, Nabisco Brands, Ogilvy US investment in the UK followed & Mather, Bowater and Avon Simultaneously, Austin undertook with the banking industry very Cosmetics, followed by stand- an 8,000m2² production and much at the hub. This new alone design and build projects warehouse facility in Northampton trend was the source of much for Hewlett Packard, Nacanco and for Avon Cosmetics. remodelling work in the City of Apeco. London for banks such as Boston,

Austin 80 Years Booklet - Wide Column.indd 4 10/07/2018 14:57:06 1938 - 2018 | Delivering 80 years of excellence

Royal Attention Alliances Technical Facilities

These two UK projects were the need for qualified technical Additional work followed on officially opened by The Princess and management expertise in a regular basis for prestigious Royal and The Prince of Wales, the design and construction of companies such as , Glaxo, respectively. complex facilities plus developing SmithKline, Pfizer, 3M, CAMR, a trusting relationship with our Organon Laboratories, Schering Diana, The Princess of Wales continuing customers and suppliers Plough, Nestlé, Cadbury-Kraft, was called upon to open a stand and the ability to work with all in a Novatis Pharmaceuticals, Procter alone, state-of-the-art prestigious respectful manner. & Gamble, Rank Film Laboratories, laboratory at Morpeth in Durham, Macfarlan Smith, Imperial College under a complete design and This led to long term associations London and the Medical Research construction service commission. with clients such as ICI, , Council. AstraZeneca, and Syngenta resulting Our experience in these in over 50,000m2. of high tech. landmark projects recognise production and laboratory space.

Austin 80 Years Booklet - Wide Column.indd 5 10/07/2018 14:57:08 1938 - 2018 | Delivering 80 years of excellence

Royalty Returns Changing Markets Flexible Services

Austin’s services also extended Syngenta’s Physical Science & Resulting in a refocus of Austin to the food industry – particularly Biology Compression project sales and marketing, this change British Bakels Ltd. and Rank Hovis at Jealott’s Hill; a 15 month was evidenced by projects McDougall. refurbishment and new build undertaken for universities in programme completed by Austin. Durham, York and Exeter and a Austin was invited to develop a complete pharmaceutical plant new large research facility for At the turn of the millennium the for Balkanpharma (Actavis) in Tripos Discovery Research Limited changed Bulgaria. in Bude, Cornwall which was its focus with more investment officially opened by HRH The Duke directed abroad and increasing The UK company underwent a of York. collaboration with universities for management buyout in 2006 and research and biotech companies. undertook a review of the business The Princess Royal returned to strategy. Though the basic strategy an Austin facility by opening was deemed sound, the changing

Austin 80 Years Booklet - Wide Column.indd 6 10/07/2018 14:57:09 1938 - 2018 | Delivering 80 years of excellence

Complex Facilities Today The Future

business climate required a Austin continues to consolidate its Austin’s success has been built on the dedication broader reach into other market position in the industry and has and commitment of its highly skilled and segments. been entrusted with major multi- experienced employees. Our clients have million facilities in companies contributed enormously to this success with their It was also felt appropriate to offer such as GW Pharma, DiaSorin trust and support in the design and construction of bespoke design or construction and many more. It still expands its quality projects. services, resulting in successful operations into other areas such as work for Merck Sharp & Dohme, the food industry (Mondelez, Barry Austin looks forward to the future on a positive Cancer Research UK, Institute for Callebaut) and work in countries note, confident of its ability to provide quality Animal Health, Imperial College such as South East Asia and Africa. technical facilities, in optimal time and with value London, Institute of Cancer for money. Research and Lonza amongst In addition it has expanded it’s others. capability to support process Thank you to everyone past and present involved in services projects. developing the successful company that Austin is today.

Regards, Prakash Davda

Austin 80 Years Booklet - Wide Column.indd 7 10/07/2018 14:57:11 Cardinal Point, Park Road, Rickmansworth Hertfordshire, WD3 1RE Tel: 01923 432 658, Fax: 01923 432 795 e-mail: [email protected] www.austin.co.uk

Austin 80 Years Booklet - Wide Column.indd 8 10/07/2018 14:57:12