The company was founded at BassingbourninCambridgeshire by a bricklayer, John Willmott, in 1852. During the second half of the 19th century and much of the 20th century, the company remained small. However, by 1980, the company was earning revenue of nearly £30 million per annum and, in the early 1980s, the company bought a motorhome, made by Winnebago Industries, from which to conduct board meetings at regional locations and thereby keep in touch with local management. At that time the company expanded internationally, into Egypt and Portugal.[4]
In 2001, Rick Willmott became the fifth generation of the Willmott family to lead the business.[4]
In January 2008, the company re-acquired its social housing business, Inspace, which it had floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2005.[6]
In March 2013, Willmott Dixon invested £1 million in the 4Life Academy, located in Perry Barr, Birmingham.[7]
In January 2024, Rick Willmott stepped down as group chief executive and became Willmott Dixon's new executive chairman. Chief financial officer Graham Dundas was promoted to chief executive.[8]
Willmott Dixon has several business streams including construction, residential construction and interior fit out and refurbishment.[9] In 2017, it sold a 70% stake in its London-based residential development business Be Living to Malaysia's EcoWorld International, creating EcoWorld London.[10]
Woolwich Central, the largest ever development by Tesco's in-house development business Spenhill, was completed in 2014.[13] The development was named Britain's worst new building, being awarded the 'Carbuncle Cup' for a design judges described as "oppressive, defensive, arrogant and inept".[14]
A specialist building in Exeter, housing the Met Office's new supercomputer, completed in 2017[17]
The redevelopment of Orchard VillageinSouth Hornchurch, completed in 2017.[18] Since its construction, Orchard Village has been beset with problems of build quality and estate management which have been reported in the media, in particular by the Romford Recorder[19][20][21]
The fit out of the new hospitality suite in the East Stand at Twickenham Stadium, completed in 2018[22]
Woolwich Central was the subject of a £46.7 million claim by Tesco against Willmott Dixon for cladding replacement;[27] Willmott Dixon then sought to reclaim the same amount from five members of its supply chain:[28] Lindner Exteriors and its subsidiary Prater, architect Sheppard Robson, AIS Surveyors, and fire engineer AECOM.[29] When the case was heard in February 2023,[27] two suppliers countered by saying the problems arose due to Willmott Dixon's negligence.[30]
In June 2023, Willmott Dixon said its financial performance had been adversely affected by costs associated with Building Safety Act compliance. CEO Rick Willmott said: "The aggregate provision for these legacy issues stands at a very material £62 million and we naturally expect to recover a substantial portion of this from designers, fire engineers, supply chain and insurers who, so far, have not faced up to their responsibilities or obligations across those 'in scope' projects."[31][32]