Trollope & Colls

History

The origins of Trollope and Colls Ltd can be traced back to 1778 and two distinct businesses founded by the Trollope and Colls families. Both firms had their background in interior decoration (Joseph Trollope was a wallpaper hanger while Benjamin Colls was a painter and decorator) and were both based in London for much of their existence. Likewise, each company developed into sizable construction operations that served major clients. Furthermore, both George Howard Trollope and John Howard Colls were presidents of the Central Association of Master Builders.

During 1903, the combined company was formed as a result of the merger of George Trollope & Sons and Colls & Sons. Trading under the name Trollope & Colls, the firm opted to specialise in civil engineering. During the First World War, it undertook pioneering work on reinforced concrete, which included the construction of various docks, viaducts and railway bridges.

Beyond its domestic undertakings, the company also sought out work as far afield as the Far East. In the aftermath of the Second World War, the firm was heavily involved in the reconstruction efforts. During 1969, the company was acquired by the British conglomerate Trafalgar House; it operated as a subsidiary of its new owner and maintained its name.

During the early 1990s, the two main arms of Trollope and Colls business, which were judged to have been increasingly bidding for work within the same territory within Greater London, were merged; the combined entity was also centered around new offices in the City of London. By 1994, it was the largest contractor in the United Kingdom in terms of turnover.

On 18 April 1996, the Norwegian shipbuilding and engineering group Kvaerner acquired Trafalgar House Construction, as the business became known, as part of a £904 million offer for Trafalgar House plc. Thereafter, the company started trading under the name Kvaerner Trollope & Colls. The company has since been effectively incorporated into Skanska .

Major projects

Projects undertaken by the company and its predecessors included: Her Majesty's Theatre completed in 1869, Trawsfynndd power station completed in 1962, Northwick Park Hospital completed in 1970, and the Stock Exchange Tower completed in 1972.

In addition to the construction of new building, numerous projects undertaken by Trollope & Colls were centered around the refurbishment of existing buildings, such as Oxo Tower and New Zealand House. Numerous largely organisations, such as the London Underground, turned to the company to perform upgrades and expansions.

References

References

1. "Trollope & Colls". [[The National Archives (United Kingdom).
2. "Trollope and Colls Ltd, Pleasant Works, Liverpool, Merseyside".
3. (20 August 1992). "20Aug92 UK: TRAFALGAR HOUSE TO CONSOLIDATE TROLLOPE AND COLLS AND MOVE OPERATION TO NEW OFFICES IN THE CITY OF LONDON. 20Aug92 UK: CONTRACTORS LOSE OUT ON OVERSEAS CONTRACTS BECAUSE OF A LACK OF GOVER".
4. Powell, Christopher. (1996). "The British building industry since 1800". Routledge.
5. (28 February 1996). "Kvaerner Is Close to Bidding for Troubled Group: Lifeline for Trafalgar House?". International Herald Tribune.
6. Hotten, Russell. (5 March 1996). "Kvaerner buys Trafalgar for pounds 904m deal". The Independent.
7. (29 May 1997). "Central London Kvaerner pips Lovell for office".
8. (5 June 1997). "City of London Two chase NatWest office deal".
9. Lea, Robert. (27 July 2021). "Constructor Skanska defiant over keeping its furlough cash".
10. (24 November 1994). "24Nov94 UK: TAKING STOCK – TROLLOPE AND COLLS, OXO TOWER".
11. (8 October 1992). "08Oct92 UK: TROLLOPE AND COLLS AND HADEN YOUNG COMPLETE £14M REFURBISHMENT OF NEW ZEALAND HOUSE IN LONDON’S HAYMARKET".
12. (4 March 1993). "04Mar93 UK: CONTRACT – LONDON; TROLLOPE AND COLLS".