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¶ Corporate histories

Constructing narratives and telling stories sits at the heart of my practice as a historian. To do this I will use official records, printed materials, internal communications, newspapers and journals, and oral histories both from existing archives and  and which I have made new. 

Morrison Construction

In 2018 I prepared a history of Morrison Construction. This was done in the absence of any corporate archive, and relied on over thirty new oral history interviews, various corporate publications, and a range of contextual materials. This weaving together - on this case using a few thosuand 3x5 index cards, enabled me to piece together a story based on scant information. It was a great privilege to speak with leading civil engineers and business people as they reflected on some remarkable projects, and to use this to tell an impressive story. 

From the Carnegie site: 'The story of Morrison Construction begins in Nazi-occupied Poland, where a young man from the Scottish Highlands found himself in a prisoner of war camp. Five years of captivity gave Tain-born Alex Morrison ample time to think, and to develop his characteristic resourcefulness and determination. After his release, he married and started his own business, often employing ex-comrades in the early days. This small outfit took on all the work it could, starting with joinery and other small jobs. The breakthrough came with the contract for the Invergordon Distillery warehouses, through which the company expanded. This was just the beginning. Alex remained an important figure, while his sons, Fraser and Gordon, took leadership roles. As the Highland economy boomed with the offshore industry, so did Alex’s business. The company returned to family ownership in 1989, and a focus on quality and partnership saw considerable returns and contracts around the world. In 1995, the business successfully floated on the London Stock Exchange. The company continues to flourish under M Group Services and Galliford Try.' Ordering and more information can be found here.

Current and future projects

My current major project will see the publication of a significant London building merchant, which tells the story of an exceptional and not infrequently eccentric family, an extremely successful business, and the building of Victorian London. 

I am experience in not only the project design and research element, but also the design and production aspects. I can also advise on idicative budgets and costs for the full project very quickly. Any possible history can be tailored to your budget, materials, and available timeframe. If you have needs for a corporate history I would be delighted to talk with you, and, if an anniversary looms, would encourage you to do this at the very earliest stage. My details are here. 

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