The business was founded by Claude Moss Leigh in 1946 as the Metropolitan Estates & Property Corporation.[1] Having started as a property investment business it diversified into the development of shopping malls in the 1970s.[2] It adopted the shortened name of MEPC in 1973. In 1987 it acquired the Oldham Estate.[3]
In 2000 the Company was acquired by Leconport Estates, a joint venture between the British Telecom Pension Fund and GE Capital. In 2003 GE Capital sold its investment to the British Telecom Pension Fund.[4] Since then the Royal Mail Pension Fund acquired a substantial shareholding in MEPC.[5]
In 2014, Hermes Real Estate exchanged on the sale of three MEPC parks in the South East, North West and Scotland: Chineham Park in Basingstoke, Birchwood Park in Warrington and Hillington Park in Glasgow.[6]
Hermes Investment Management acquired MEPC in 2020.[7]
Operations
The Group now focuses its activities on operating four business parks across the UK:[8]
Milton Park - A business and science park located just outside Oxford near the town of Abingdon
Wellington Place - A business park located in the city centre of Leeds.
Silverstone Park - A business park with a focus on engineering and high-tech activities, located on the Silverstone Circuit in Towcester.
