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History
In 1897 Edward Wates and his three brothers set up the first Wates Company.
During the 1920s and 1930s Edward's sons, Norman, Sir Ronald and Allan, expanded the Company by pioneering speculative house building and then extended their activities into general contracting.
During the Second World War, the company built aerodromes, army camps, factories and most notably, developed a speciality in constructing pre-cast and in situ reinforced concrete barges and floating docks. The company supplied major parts of the Mulberry Harbours that were towed across the channel after D-Day.
After the War the company used this knowledge of pre-cast concrete to develop high-rise and low-rise industrialised housing systems and built over 60,000 houses and flats using these techniques. Property development was also added to the core housing, contracting and plant businesses.