The Milne Group (1970s – 1990s)
The Milne & Wilde Family has been in construction and real estate development for three generations.
Reginald Milne was the driving force of the business’s expansion in the 1970s. He successfully grew the turnover into the millions with hundreds of employees and a group of integrated real estate companies.
In the 1980s the Group consisted of construction companies, an electrical & heating engineering company, a property development arm, a real estate fund and a scaffolding company.
Former Clients Included
Milne Builders Ltd (1970s – Present)
Milne Builders (Formerly the Milne Group Estates) is the development and residential construction arm of the business. Milne Builders was founded in the 1970s and is currently run by Toby Wilde.
Over the company’s lifetime, the business has built thousands of houses and apartments, principally operating as a developer for which it has obtained A1 NHBC recognition.
Milne Contracts ltd (1970s – 1990s)
Milne Contracts was the public and private sector contracting arm during the 1980s and 1990s. The business focused on notable projects which included:
- The Sainsbury’s and Linbury Buildings, Worcester College, Oxford University
- Kenyon & Wolfsun Buildings, St Hugh’s College, Oxford University
- Magdalen College, Oxford University, renovation and extension
- Oxford Brookes Campus, Gypsy Lane
- John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford NHS Trust, extension and creation of library buildings
- Nuffield Hospital, Oxford NHS Trust, new wards and MRI scanning unit.
- Abingdon & Witney College Campus
- Oxford Science Park, for Magdalen College
- Warenford Hospital & Wintle Ward, construction of new ward and refurbishment of main building
- Churchill Hospital, construction of Wards and maintenance departments
Oxford Residential Properties Ltd (1980s – 1990s)
Under the Business Expansion Scheme of the 1980s the Government handed out licenses to run residential investment funds with tax incentives for investors. In partnership with Lazards Milnes founded Oxford Residential Properties Limited which specialised in buying residential housing and apartment blocks across the Thames Valley region.
W.H Dore & Sons Ltd (1980s – 1990s)
Founded by the Dore Family in 1954 in Wiltshire, W.H Dore & Sons LTD was a medium-sized general contractor focusing on Local Authority contracts in Wiltshire and West Oxfordshire. Milnes acquired Dores in the 1980s and subsequently merged the business into Milnes.
Sureway Scaffolding (Oxford) Limited (1980s – 1990s)
Acquired by Milnes in a management buyout. Sureway Scaffolding proved services across the Thames Valley.
The business continued successfully under family members until its acquisition in the late 1990s.
Clients Included:
- Milnes
- McAlpine’s
- Local Authorities
- Wates
- Leadbitter
- Knowles & Son
- Barrett Homes
H & E Engineers Ltd (1980s – 1990s)
Established in 1937, Milnes purchased H & E Engineers in the 1980s. The company was the largest Heating & Electrical engineering company in the South of England, at its peak it employed hundreds of engineers and had two large depots on Wytham Street in Oxford until the recession of the early 1990s.
Milne Builders later developed the depot into 50 Houses and Apartments for private sale.
