About
Leading specialist
contractors
One of the UK's leading specialist contractors
Skilled experts established in 1965
MJ Abbott Limited was established in 1965 and has grown steadily to become one of the UK’s leading specialist contractors. Originating in the Wessex region, the company has carefully developed its expertise in a wide range of products and services and now operates throughout the UK and Europe.
Over the years we have expanded our service portfolio to incorporate golf course construction, reconstruction and remodelling, sports facility construction, irrigation, water management, land drainage, water and wastewater engineering, landscaping, civil engineering, and a number of other specialist services.
These activities are all carried out in-house by our highly skilled and dedicated personnel to provide our customers with high quality facilities and systems at competitive prices.
Resources
Quality, safety & depth of resources
Our total commitment to quality is backed by our considerable investment in people and infrastructure. Our experienced and dedicated management team is hands-on throughout all projects, working closely with our workforce of over 150 highly skilled, trained and motivated people. Working safely is of paramount importance to us.
We have one of the largest privately owned specialist plant and machinery fleets in the UK and our 22,000m² premises has 1,200m² of purpose-designed buildings which house offices, stores and a trade counter facility. Separate workshops have been built to facilitate the in-house development and manufacture of specialist machinery and maintenance of all our plant and vehicles.
Company philosophy
Quality, service and value for money
MJ Abbott aims to provide facilities, systems and services of the highest possible quality and to deliver all projects effectively, on programme and within budget. Our customers can expect minimal disruption while we carry out our work, with first class reinstatement of any disturbed areas. We aim to establish and maintain long-lasting relationships with all our customers.
By selecting MJ Abbott to carry out your project you can be assured of the highest quality, responsive and attentive customer service, and excellent value for money.
Our team
A highly skilled team with a diverse set of abilities
Our people are our greatest asset, and we are unashamedly proud of our highly skilled, enthusiastic and dedicated workforce.
With a diversity of skills and abilities the MJ Abbott team can put their hand to any problem to create a bespoke solution to work for any need.
Our team is always driving for positive results and are ready to discuss your project needs.
Meet the management teamOur culture
Our employment culture and values
We are unashamedly proud of our highly skilled, enthusiastic and dedicated workforce. Part of that is the culture and values that are intrinsically part of our business.
Accreditations
We pride ourselves on providing
outstanding service to all our customers
Company history
A distinguished history
stretching back almost sixty years
1960s
Humble beginnings
It is now one of the UK’s leading specialist contractors, however MJ Abbott Limited had humble beginnings. In 1965 Michael John (MJ) Abbott, then working as a tractor driver for an agricultural contractor, decided to set up in business on his own, offering agricultural contracting services to local farmers.
By the turn of the decade Michael, by this time employing five staff and supported by his wife Aslaug who ran the office from home, had secured his own premises comprising a yard and maintenance workshop at East Farm in Dinton, 8 miles to the west of Salisbury in Wiltshire. He expanded the business by continually adding to his fleet of machinery and widening his service offering to his farming customer base.
1970s
Opportunities in land drainage
In the 1970s Michael saw an opportunity to enter the land drainage market, and purchased his first continuous chain trenching machine. This enabled him to take advantage of the grants available to farmers via the Ministry of Agriculture to drain their land in order to improve crop yields.
At that time clay tile drains were used, and these had to be loaded by hand from a trailer onto the drainage machine and inserted into a chute by an operator – this seems very antiquated today, when easy to handle coils of perforated plastic pipe are used.
1980s
New premises and expansion
In 1980 Michael had the opportunity to develop a new site for his growing business, and moved premises to a green field site at Bratch Lane in Dinton. Drainage, access roads and infrastructure had to be installed before the site could be used, and a workshop facility and office building was constructed.
In the early 1980s a request from Avon County Council to assist with the drainage to one of its sports pitches led to modification of the trenching machines so that they could work on sports turf. Assisted by his engineers, Michael fitted a basic soil-loading conveyor to an agricultural machine and it did the job perfectly. This led to a rapid expansion of the business into sports turf drainage work and subsequent incorporation of the business as MJ Abbott Limited in 1985.
1990s
Entry to the golf market
The early 1990s saw the company’s first forays into the golf market, starting with drainage and irrigation works. In 1995, MJ Abbott was working as a subcontractor on the construction of the new PGA Course at The Belfry when the main golf contractor became insolvent. MJ Abbott took on the contract and completed the golf course to everyone’s satisfaction.
Over the next few years, MJ Abbott went on to complete a number of golf construction projects including reconstruction of the Brabazon Course at The Belfry for the 2001 Ryder Cup, works to the Wentwood Hills course at the Celtic Manor Resort for the Wales Open, and construction of the New Course at Burhill Golf Club.
2000s
Growth and expansion into new markets
Through the first decade of the new millennium MJ Abbott worked on a string of high profile golf construction projects including construction of new courses at The Grove, The Twenty Ten Course at the Celtic Manor Resort for the 2010 Ryder Cup, Rockliffe Hall and Close House, and reconstruction of the Torrance Course at Fairmont St Andrews and the iconic West Course at Wentworth.
True to form MJ Abbott continued to grow and evolve, expanding its portfolio to include natural and artifical sports pitch construction, landscaping, and environmental works. The company also extended its expertise in private water supply, water storage, water management, pumping and sewage treatment, and industrial electrical systems. By now the company employed over 100 personnel in a myriad of roles.
2010s
Continued growth with focus on sports
The 2010s saw a major expansion in the sports turf market, kicked off by an award-winning training ground project for Premiership Rugby’s London Irish. Further projects followed for Chelsea, Newcastle United, and the FA at St George’s Park.
There was continued growth too in irrigation, with numerous projects completed for high profile golf and sports clients across the UK. MJ Abbott invested strongly in its water, civil and sewage engineering services to its traditional farm and estate customer base.
This decade also saw strong growth in MJ Abbott’s direct sales operation and commencement of the partnership with Funke to bring its specialist sewer pipe range, HS Pipe, to the UK market.
2020s and beyond
Investing for continued success
Over the last six decades MJ Abbott has gone from strength to strength, and now enjoys an enviable reputation in all the markets it serves, encompassing the whole of the UK, Ireland, and Western Europe.
Following a strong recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, the MJ Abbott Group strengthened its senior leadership team and updated its corporate structure to enable it to make the most of future opportunities.
MJ Abbott acquired its sports turf industry partner business, Premier Pitches, in 2022.
MJ Abbott’s leadership team will ensure that the business continues to evolve over time in response to market demands, and we look forward to meeting our customers’ needs for many years to come.