Rigby Group at 50 - A Year of Celebration

A Year of Celebration, Crowned by a Special Afternoon at the House of Commons

Rigby Group’s 50th anniversary is more than a milestone—it’s a living testament to the power of family enterprise, long-term thinking and the belief that people, not just profits, build enduring companies. Throughout this year, the Group has been marking the occasion with a series of celebrations across its diverse businesses. In July, those celebrations reached a particularly meaningful high point with a special reception at the House of Commons—an afternoon that brought together colleagues from across the Rigby family to reflect on five decades of growth, resilience and shared purpose.

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A Parliamentary Salute to 50 Years

The reception gathered leaders, friends and long-serving team members from across the Group. We were honoured that the Rt Hon Darren Jones MP and the Rt Hon Sir Mel Stride MP joined to offer their congratulations, recognising the vital role that British family businesses play in our economy and in society.

It was also an afternoon of heartfelt thanks. Sir Peter Rigby was joined by Steve Rigby and James Rigby and their families in acknowledging the people who have shaped the Group’s journey. Of the 9,000 colleagues who make up Rigby Group today, over 2,000 have served for more than a decade—a rare and remarkable statistic that speaks to a culture of loyalty, opportunity and care. Seeing some of those familiar faces—many who were there near the beginning—alongside new colleagues who are writing the next chapter made the celebration feel both historic and forward-looking.

One Group, Many Callings—Shared Values

For those of us at Allect—the home of Helen Green Design, Rigby & Rigby and Lawson Robb—it was inspiring to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with people whose day-to-day work might seem far removed from ours: the technology, aviation and property teams, and many others across the Group’s portfolio. Yet in conversation after conversation, the same threads kept appearing: pride in doing things properly, an obsession with quality, and a sense of responsibility to clients, colleagues and communities.

That shared value system is the quiet force connecting every part of Rigby Group. Whether you’re crafting a timeless interior, engineering enterprise-grade technology solutions, or stewarding complex assets, the mindset is strikingly consistent: think long term, invest in relationships, and leave things better than you found them.

Voices That Inspire

Hearing from the Rigby family was a highlight. The founder’s reflections—anchored in perseverance, curiosity and a refusal to cut corners—felt as relevant now as ever. The family’s remarks underlined what many of us experience daily: autonomy with accountability, excellence without ego, and the freedom to innovate within a strong, values-led framework. It’s a combination that empowers teams to aim higher, and it’s rare.

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What Enduring Family Businesses Get Right

Looking back on the afternoon—and the wider year of celebrations—several principles stand out as the hallmarks of a successful family business that thrives across generations and grows in multiple directions:

• Long-term stewardship over short-term gains. Decisions are made with decades in mind, not quarters.
• Values as operating system. Culture isn’t a slogan; it’s a daily discipline that shapes hiring, partnerships and quality.
• People first. Tenure is earned because opportunity, trust and recognition are real.
• Focused diversification. New ventures build on existing strengths—craft, service, technology—creating synergies across the portfolio.
• Customer obsession. Whether in design or data centres, excellence is measured by outcomes for clients and end users.
• Continuous reinvestment. In skills, tools, and the environments that allow great work to happen.

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Pride in the Past, Confidence in the Future

The House of Commons reception was more than a celebration; it was a mirror held up to 50 years of character. For those of us lucky enough to be there, it was energising to reconnect with long-serving colleagues, meet new faces and feel the momentum that comes from a truly unified group. We left with a deep sense of pride—and with renewed confidence that the next 50 years will be defined by the same clarity of purpose that brought us here.

Here’s to the people who built Rigby Group, the values that bind us, and the opportunities ahead for every business in the family—from the creatives at Allect to the technologists at SCC and beyond.