Our Heritage

10085

In 1923, Guy Mabey registers a general building supplies business servicing new construction in South East England.

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1940

Donald Bailey designs an alternative bridge to the complicated and expensive Inglis Bridge system. When the full prototype of the Inglis Mark III Bridge fails during testing, Bailey is given the go-ahead to develop his new bridging concept.  A prototype Bailey Bridge is successfully load tested and the first example is delivered to troops in the field during December 1941.

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Bailey Bridging made an immense contribution towards ending World War II. As far as my own operations were concerned, with the eighth Army in Italy and with the 21 Army Group in North West Europe, I could never have maintained the speed and tempo of forward movement without large supplies of Bailey Bridging

Field Marshal Montgomery

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1950

In the post-war years large amounts of Bailey Bridging were purchased from government surplus sales.

In 1955, the company expands with the first ever export sale - the supply of a large quantity of ex-government Bailey Bridging to a natural gas pipeline project in Pakistan.

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1960

The Chepstow site of the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company is purchased. This places Mabey at the forefront of steel fabrication for major infrastructure projects.

In 1967, Thomas Storey's sole rights to manufacture panel bridging based on the Bailey concept expires and Mabey Super Bailey Panel is launched. It is an instant success amongst civil engineering contractors requiring stronger bridges to carry bigger earth moving equipment.

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1970

In the mid-seventies, development work starts on the Mabey Universal Bridging System.  Based on a panel size significantly larger than the standard Bailey system it becomes widely used in America.

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1980

The Compact 100 bridge system, using higher yield strength steel and a much lighter and stronger decking system is launched in 1981, followed in 1988 by the Compact 200 system with improved capacity and span. Robot welding is introduced at the Lydney factory, providing cost effective high-quality welding.

The company continues to grow and Mabey Holdings is incorporated in 1985 to rationalise a growing portfolio of operating companies.  It acquires the Lydney Industrial Estate, home to the Mabey modular bridge factory.

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1990

Throughout the 1990s, Mabey continues to innovate and grow with the introduction of new products and acquisitions.

The first Mabey Flyover is built in Sweden in 1991, providing an "instant" over-bridge to enable construction work to continue whilst heavy traffic moves overhead.

In 1996 Mabey secures the contract to supply 17 Compact 200 Bridges to the NATO Implementation Force in Bosnia.

In 1998 bridge supply starts to the HS1 project (Channel Tunnel Rail Link). 24 bridges are delivered over 10 contracts between 1998 and 2004.

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2000

The Delta Bridge is launched in 2002 and becomes established as the modular bridge of choice for long spans and permanent applications.

The US Army chooses the Mabey Logistics Support Bridging system to develop new infrastructure in Iraq, providing access for military and civilian vehicles, including delivery of the necessary aid and reconstruction equipment.  Approximately 6000m of bridging are supplied from 2003 to 2009.

1500 bridges are completed in the Philippines under the President's Bridge Programme.

In 2009 the Company Mabey Bridge is formed to create a single world-class manufacturer of all forms of steel bridging.

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Bevil Mabey (1916-2010)  dies aged 94 after dedicating so much of his life to creating a world-beating group of companies, combining the very best of British engineering, manufacturing, dynamism and determination.

In 2012, Mabey Bridge is the first company in the world to have an externally accredited anti-corruption management system to BS10500.

21 bridges are supplied to the London Olympics site by Mabey Bridge and 7 temporary footbridges are provided by Mabey Hire for the duration of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

In 2017, to help customers personalise the design of their Compact 200 modular bridges, SmartEdge is introduced. New robots are installed at the Lydney bridge factory, making the manufacturer of steel bridge panels quicker, safer and more efficient.

In 2018, Mabey Bridge is one of the first companies in the world to gain the ISO 37001 accreditation, demonstrating its management systems works to counter bribery and corruption.

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In 2019, Mabey Bridge was acquired by leading prefabricated modular steel bridging business, Acrow Corporation of America, forming the most prominent provider of high-quality modular steel bridging in the world...

New Mabey Bridge timeline

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