William Leech PLC

Last updated
William Leech PLC
Industry Housebuilding
Successor Beazer
Founded1934
Defunct1985
FateAcquired
Headquarters Tyneside
Key people
Sir William Leech (Chairman and founder)

William Leech PLC was a major Tyneside housebuilder.

Contents

History

The company was established by William Leech, a former window cleaner in 1934 [1] as William Leech (Builders) Ltd. [2] It bought very large landholdings in the Cramlington area [3] and was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1976 when its name was changed to William Leech PLC. [2] It achieved an output of 2,500 units in 1979. [4] It announced a merger with Bellway in 1981 but this was called off within days: "the lifestyle of the two firms looked pretty incompatible". [5] The company was then acquired by Beazer in 1985. [2]

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References

  1. "William Leech - Builder". BBC. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 "The William Leech Foundation Limited - The Foundation Trust" . Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  3. Cullingworth, p. 240
  4. Ball, p. 60
  5. Building, June 1981

Sources