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From public sector projects and heritage works to largescale industrial builds , Francis Construction can do it all . Founded over 130 years ago , the company remains a community-driven , family-first operation . As Managing Director , Will Barrett , details : “ Francis Construction was established by the Francis family in the 1890s . It traded as a local contractor on a variety of small-scale projects all the way through to the 1960s , when the company changed hands , and became part of my family legacy . Around this time , the Francis brothers were facing challenging business headwinds and decided to sell the business . My grandfather , in partnership with my great uncle , bought Francis Construction assimilating it into their own business . They kept the name and moved operations into the Francis head office .
“ We were based in Tilehurst , Reading for a long while after that . My father took over the business in the early 80s , nearly 100 years after it was first founded . I followed in his footsteps , becoming Managing Director in 2015 following seven years at a major national contractor . We still operate the joinery shop , using some of the specialist heritage machinery a well as state-of-the-art equipment , and we ’ re still in business with some of the company ’ s original clients and supply chain . One of our current projects is in partnership with a local stonemason A F Jones , who we ’ ve worked with consistently for decades . We recently found an invoice between the two businesses dated 1916 , which shows just how long-lasting that particular partnership has been .
“ Maintaining strong relationships with clients is one way we stay true to our roots as a family business . We enjoy working together and supporting one another in proper partnerships where all parties have a stake in the outcome . Our history provides the company with an unshakable
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