Our History

Our History

1. 1950s

   Rural beginnings: In the late 1950s, 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

   Evolution into property: 1979 saw Wigley purchase the north side of the Alfred Herbert Works - this significant purchase shaped the future business model.

4. 1980s

   Shift in focus: The 1980s saw the fabrications side of the business phased out. Focus shifted to industrial property and the continued development of Edgwick Park.

5. 1990s

   An ever-growing portfolio: In the 1990s, Wigley expanded their portfolio, acquiring Sandy Lane Industrial Estate, Henley Industrial Park and Golf Course Lane - all of which remain in the portfolio today.

6. 2000s

   Second generation leadership: The 2000s was a time of transformation. In 2005, John’s son Robert became Managing Director (now Chairman). 2008 saw the sad passing of both John Wigley and Gordon Davies. It was in this year that Gordon’s son, James, joined the business.

7. 2010

   The third-generation joins: John’s grandson Jonathan joined the family company in 2010, marking the third generation of Wigleys to be involved in the business.

8. 2013

   A year for diversification: In 2013, Wigley Contracts was re-branded as The Wigley Group. The same year that James Ellerington (now our Chief Operating Officer) and Louis Washington-Smith (now our Asset Director) joined the business. Wigley Commercial Services (now Virtus Property Services) was launched this year, and so was the now-annual golf day & gala dinner.

9. 2014

   Celebrating 50 years: Wigley celebrated its 50th birthday in 2014. Following growth in the number of employees, the company also moved offices.

10. 2016

    Emphasis on compliance: “The Mound” was delivered in 2016, in the same year Claire Lynch (now our Chief Governance Officer) joined the team introducing a health & safety framework.

11. 2017

    Growth & change: The Wigley Support Fund was launched in 2017. This year James Davies became Managing Director, and Louis Washington-Smith was promoted to Estates Manager. 2017 also saw the launch of Wigley Building & Development Ltd (now Tyto Contracting Ltd).

12. 2018

    Central services: We launched our Central Services function (now Wigley Connect Ltd) to support the parent company and construction business. Chris Parsons also joined the business.

13. 2019

    Stockton House, ISOs & awards: There was lots to celebrate in 2019, including the certification of two ISOs - 9001 and 45001 - and our move to our current headquarters, Stockton House. The Wigley Group also won and was shortlisted for several awards this year.

14. 2020

    Global pandemic: Covid-19 changed the way we do business and saw a significant increase in demand for warehouse space. Despite the pandemic, we were able to deliver Exhall3 and begin works at Daimler Powerhouse.

15. 2021

    Formation of an Executive Board: Our Executive Board was formed in 2021, along with Claire Lynch and Chris Parsons being promoted to group director roles.
    The Wigley Community Fund was also launched this year, we won Property & Construction Business of the Year, completed Daimler Powerhouse, and invested £350,000 into Ashton Lodge Country House.

16. 2022

    11 Waterloo Place & more awards: 11 Waterloo Place was purchased and delivered in 2022 - the first serviced office property in Tetra’s portfolio. Works also commenced on the expansion of Stockton House. Several awards were son in 2022 including Community Business of the Year and the Community Benefit RICS award for Daimler Powerhouse.

17. 2023

    The story continues… 2023 saw several key appointments throughout the business, including Charles Hicks and Danny Leitch. We also saw growth in our Executive Board, an extension at Stockton House, embarked on a joint venture with The Naunton Downs Estate, and achieved ISO 14001.

18. Today

    A new era: A strategic and significant re-organisation of Wigley’s structure brings us to what you see today. Wigley Investment Holdings Ltd, a UK-based company owning and investing in several businesses which operate across the real-estate lifecycle, on behalf of the Wigley family. Positioned to unlock the potential of property and people as we have done since 1964.