COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 233210

Building Construction, Single Family

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

10companies1881–1999founding years10still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedJ.F. Shea Co., Inc.
1881
FoundedSkanska AB
1887
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedGeorge Wimpey plc
1919
FoundedTaylor Woodrow plc
1921
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedBellway Plc
1946
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedKB Home
1957
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedNew World Development Company Limited
1970
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedWilson Bowden Plc
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
FoundedStandard Pacific Corporation
1992
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
FoundedWilliam Lyon Homes
1999
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

J.F. Shea Co., Inc. →
Active · founded 1881
J.F.
Skanska AB →
Active · founded 1887 · Sweden
After helping to build Scandinavia, Skanska AB is ready to help build the rest of the world.
George Wimpey plc →
Active · founded 1919 · United Kingdom
George Wimpey plc ranks among the world's oldest and largest private construction concerns, with operations in the…
Taylor Woodrow plc →
Active · founded 1921 · United Kingdom
Taylor Woodrow plc is a major U.K.-based home builder and property developer and lessor.
Bellway Plc →
Active · founded 1946 · United Kingdom
Bellway Plc is one of the top five home builders in the United Kingdom, selling more than 5,700 homes per year.
KB Home →
Active · founded 1957
KB Home is the largest home builder in the United States, in terms of units built.
New World Development Company Limited →
Active · founded 1970 · Hong Kong
Since its founding in 1970, New World Development Company Limited has been a leader in Hong Kong's bustling commercial…
Wilson Bowden Plc →
Active · founded 1987 · United Kingdom
One of the United Kingdom's top home builders, Wilson Bowden Plc has targeted the upper end of the housing market,…
Standard Pacific Corporation →
Active · founded 1992
Standard Pacific Corporation is one of the largest homebuilders in the United States, operating in California, Texas,…
William Lyon Homes →
Active · founded 1999
The merged companies, operating under the name William Lyon Homes, rebounded in 1999 and entered the 21st century…
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