Today, Helical is proudly celebrating its 100th Birthday!
The Helical Bar and Engineering Company Limited was incorporated as a limited company on 3 July 1919 to make and sell reinforcing steel for the construction industry. 65 years later, on 21 August 1984, the Company appointed Mike Slade to the Board, bringing over 15 years of commercial property experience. On the sale of the steel business in 1986, the Company completed its transformation into a property developer and investor.
With Mike Slade as Managing Director and Nigel McNair Scott as Finance Director, 1986 saw the Company become the best performing listed company that year, as it sold its first major development, a 100,000 sq ft office scheme at 48 Chiswell Street.
Since Mike joined the Board, the Company has grown from a market capitalisation of circa £0.5m in August 1984 to circa £440m today, and that is after paying out dividends of over £310m during that time. £100 invested in Helical on the 21 August 1984 would now be worth over £100,000 (with dividends reinvested). The current executive team of Gerald Kaye (1994), Tim Murphy (1994) and Matthew Bonning-Snook (1995) have very much been a part of that success, racking up, with Head of Asset Management John Inwood (1995), more than 100 years of service between them.
Since taking over as CEO in 2016, Gerald has led the successful transformation of Helical from a multi-sector, geographically spread UK property company to an office-led investor and developer focused purely on London and Manchester.
Helical’s current portfolio, including The Bower, EC1 and One Bartholomew, EC1, through to Trinity, M1 and Fourways House, M2, is a select showcase for London and Manchester. Helical creates buildings for today’s occupiers who demand more inspiring space with distinctive architectural detail, carefully curated public realm, market leading amenities, high quality management and a flexible approach to leasing. In applying this approach to its portfolio, Helical seeks to maximise shareholder returns through delivering income growth from creative asset management and capital gains from its development activity.
Helical is run by a dedicated team of thirty Directors, Property Executives, Finance and Support staff who between them boast more than 300 years’ experience at the Company!
Happy birthday Helical!