Kirkham-based construction business behind AFC Fylde build and Preston Porsche centre celebrates 70th birthday

A construction company behind some of Lancashire’s most recognisable builds is celebrating its 70th anniversary.

Kirkam-based Warden Construction looks has marked the milestone with a celebration event attended by over 90 current and former employees. The guests, which included relatives of the company’s founder, came together in Preston to mark seven decades since the business was established in May 1954.

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The company started life as a building supplies business before going on to become a main contractor, and today it works on large construction projects in sectors including education, healthcare, public sector buildings, and commercial and industrial.

Some high-profile builds include the Preston Porsche Centre and AFC Fylde, with the company also having worked on thousands of projects in its history for clients including Manchester City Council, Lancashire County Council, Manchester Airports Group, the NHS, The English Football League, Lancashire County Cricket Club and University of Manchester.

Ian Williams, managing director of Warden, said: “While the business has grown significantly, it still feels like a family company – which is very important to us. Our current leadership team always talk about us being custodians rather than owners of the business. We want Warden to be around in another 70 years, still delivering projects that have a positive impact on people and building social value for our communities.”

In the last 12-months, the company has delivered 810 hours of community engagement activity and delivered 490 days’ worth of staff training.

Attendees at Warden’s 70th celebration event, held at the Ivory Tower in Preston, included former managing directors David and Richard Kenworthy, who are son and grandson respectively of the company’s founder Bob Kenworthy.

The history of Warden Construction

In 1954, Robert (Bob) Kenworthy left his job as managing director of a large regional building contractor to set up Warden Builders Supplies Ltd. The company supplied building materials and construction plant to large construction companies and initially provided gravel, stone and excavators for runway building projects throughout England.

In the early 1960s, Warden Building Supplies became Warden Builders as the company started undertaking groundworks, predominantly for petrol filling stations forecourts. By the mid-sixties the firm was undertaking building work for the first time, with one of the first projects being the refurbishment of the Midland (now HSBC) Bank in St Anne’s.

David Kenworthy joined the business in 1969 and was followed by his brother Peter. During the 1970s the company became a respected building contractor with a strong specialism in the construction of petrol filling stations for major oil companies and supermarket retail operators. During the 1980s, Warden continued working on petroleum installations throughout the UK, but also developed a strong presence as a respected local builder with the public and private sectors.

Following a management buyout in 1984, David Kenworthy became managing director, and the business grew throughout the 80s and 90s into a regional building contractor undertaking housing, commercial, industrial, education and healthcare projects for public and private sector customers.

 In 1997, Richard Kenworthy joined Warden with the company progressing into partnering framework arrangements with blue chip and public sector clients. As the service offering developed, the company became Warden Construction Limited and began offering a full end to end service from design and build to facilities and maintenance management.

 In 2004 the management team was strengthened with Adrian Atkinson and Ian Williams becoming directors. Ian and Adrian continued to oversee the growth of Warden and led a further management buyout of the company in 2021.