Heritage
Foundation
1963: Ken Child of Holst & Co, a Concrete Structures specialist founded in 1918, was charged with setting up a Site Investigation Team, to provide technical and commercial advantage to Holst’s design department.
1969: Holst & Co merge with Norwest Construction, forming Norwest Holst.
Investigation
The geotechnical department undertake major ground investigations at Sellafield, NIREX, and many other major sites across the UK.
Grouting of Mineworkings becomes a business stream for Norwest Holst, managed via the geotechnical department and Mr Ken Senior. This adds further value to the company’s offering, managing brownfield risk in development projects.
1991: Norwest Holst are acquired by SGE, the French Multinational Construction, Contracting and Concessions giant.
Development
1998: As the individual divisions within Norwest Holst grow in strength, the Soil Engineering Department becomes Norwest Holst Soil Engineering Limited, and the wider family of companies becomes Norwest Holst Group PLC.
2000: Parent Company SGE rebrands as Vinci in May, and in October merges with GTM to become the world’s largest construction and concessions company. The UK companies remain branded as Norwest Holst Group
Progression
2009: Norwest Holst are integrated fully into the Vinci PLC brand. Norwest Holst Soil Engineering retains a degree of independence and becomes Soil Engineering Geoservices.
2012: After weathering the storm of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, Soil Engineering Geoservices have gone from strength to strength, continuing to deliver some of the most advanced, prestigious, and significant Geotechnical Schemes in the UK.
Our recent achievements
Since 2010, We have provided Ground Investigation or Grouting services for Lee Tunnel, Tideway Tunnel, High Speed 2, Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, A9 Dualling, Liverpool Cruise Liner Pier, Airdrie Bathgate Railway, Borders Rail, M8, Mersey Crossing, Queensferry Crossing, Clackmannanshire Bridge, London Gateway and many more of the UK’s most significant infrastructure projects. At the same time, we’ve completed investigations and treatments for single house plots, mine shafts, small industrial units, new local roads, pipeline diversions, dams, embankments, level crossings and many more.
Building on our Heritage
Soil Engineering Geoservices have developed a reputation for Capability, Quality, Innovation and uncompromising Safety. As we head towards our sixtieth birthday, when thoughts might turn to retirement, we continue to invest, continue to grow, and continue to strive to offer our clients the best possible solution for every issue. The last six decades have laid a foundation for us to build on.
