Fleetwood’s Brown & Jackson Becomes Eric Wright Construction

Brown and Jackson in Fleetwood is founded in 1923. In 1979 Eric Wright purchases the company and renames it Eric Wright Construction, laying the foundations for what becomes the Eric Wright Group. From its earliest days the business commits to a culture of excellence across construction, civil engineering, facilities management, water infrastructure and property development. The Group is built on long-term relationships with partners and clients, underpinned by a social ethos that connects commercial success to community benefit. This reflects Eric Wright’s belief that business should be inseparable from the communities in which it operates. For more than 45 years the Group has been headquartered in Bamber Bridge near Preston, while extending its influence across the North West.

In Blackpool, the company leaves a lasting mark. Over the past decade more than £130 million has been invested through Eric Wright projects in the town. These range from government-led initiatives to commercial, community and infrastructure schemes. In 2007 the company partners with Blackpool Council to form the Blackpool Local Education Partnership, driving forward education projects that reshape the town’s schools and colleges. The Group’s presence in Blackpool includes the Talbot Road Offices, completed to a BREEAM Excellent standard, and major education projects such as Highfield Humanities College and St Mary’s Catholic College. They deliver the Enterprise Centre and Bispham Care Centre, and their partnership with Blackpool and the Fylde College provides training, work experience and local employment. The approach demonstrates a commitment not only to building facilities, but to building opportunities for people in the town.

Recently the Group completes an £8 million manufacturing building at Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone, a development designed to set the tone for the future of the area. This project stands as part of a wider vision in which construction acts as a catalyst for regeneration. The company’s direction is expressed by its chairman, RE Wright. He recalls that the original goal in 1979 is survival, to protect the jobs of 200 employees who backed the new company. Once stability is secured, he turns to long-term questions of ownership and legacy. His aim is to create careers in construction without the risks of shareholder exploitation or sudden sale. The solution is charitable shareholder status, a model that locks in stability and fairness. He describes his role as a custodian of a company built by the work of hundreds of colleagues, and passes that responsibility to the next generation with support and encouragement for their continued success.