Wainwright: past, present and future Founded in 1891, J. Wainwright & Co. is one of Somerset’s oldest quarrying companies. We are proud to be an independent business, renowned for innovation, environmental awareness and our strong connection to the local community. Wainwright’s core business is the supply of premium aggregates to the construction industry. Ours is the only quarry to produce hard stone in the Mendips, and our basalt is widely regarded for its quality. This is matched by our commitment to service, ensuring customers receive what they need, when they need it. With a number of long-serving staff who know the quarry industry intimately, Wainwright is a growing business. We launched a roads surfacing division in the early 2000s, delivering work to both public and private sector organisations throughout the UK. In 2003, we formed a joint venture with Foster Yeoman – now Aggregate Industries – and secured a surfacing contract worth £6m per year from the then W S Atkins for maintaining the highway contract in the county of Somerset. We have also worked with West Berkshire Council and on projects such as the new Frome hospital. With more than £6m invested in our company over the last five years, Wainwright refuses to stand still. We have a state-of-the-art production facility, a portfolio of innovative products, and a reputation for delivering on our promises. From 2016, Wainwright will be operating a second asphalt plant at Avonmouth, near Bristol. This extends our geographical reach, enabling us to bring our high-quality product and industry-leading service to even more customers throughout the South West. This consolidates our status as one of the South West’s most forward-thinking businesses, ensuring our heritage lives on for another generation of Somerset quarry men and women.