We were founded by Sean Browne in January 1971 with a vision “to build a Company we can be proud of”. The business started trading as a London-based civil engineering contractor in the highways and HV cable infrastructure sectors. We expanded our service offering through the 1970s and 1980s in areas such as local authority drainage, gas pipelines, infrastructure and also undertook large turnkey infrastructure projects such as the construction of Heathrow Terminal 4 and the development of Canary Wharf. Since then, we have steadily built the business by delivering a good service for our clients and in return earning repeat business.
In the 2010s the business decided to strategically move towards the water sector and developer service markets. Today we are one of the largest family-owned water sector businesses in London and the South East, with a turnover of £75M and long-term frameworks with Thames Water, Southern Water, South East Water and Affinity Water. We work across all disciplines in the water sector from MEICA and capital delivery to capital and operational maintenance including above ground/non infrastructure and infrastructure programmes of work. In addition to our water sector offering, we have a long track record of delivering utility connections and diversions for the London developer market through our subsidiary, J Browne Developer Services (JBDS).
Our people and their ability to utilise their unique talents as part of a team to deliver great work for our clients have always been our greatest asset. Our family business culture is built on a proud history and our ‘BEST’ values, which promote a deep respect for every member of the team, strong and collaborative client relationships, a safety culture based on openness and learning and a desire to make big environmental improvements with the aim of achieving CO2 Net Zero by 2025. These values are a bridge to our founder’s vision of building a Company that we can be proud of. That work goes on and still motivates us today.