May Willis, who passed away recently at the age of 89, was probably one of the first women in the joinery business.
Mrs Willis and her husband Stan set up Murray and Willis, specialising in coach building, in1947 in a cow shed in Northolt, with just one member of staff. In 1951 Mrs Willis began working full time in an old garden shed. Employing 15 people, Murray and Willis could boast that it was one of the first DIY outlets; from a yard at the front they sold windows, doors and timber hardware.
The business moved to a purpose-built factory in South Ruislip and, as less wood was being used in the motor industry, Murray and Willis moved into joinery. Mrs Willis was a good saleswoman and won some prestigious contracts, building up contacts with most of the major construction firms, including John Laing, Mowlems, Fairweather and Taylor Woodrow. She was also a brilliant mathematician, and taught herself about the different timbers, the technical terms and how to estimate.
Mrs Willis became well-known in the building industry because not only was she an extremely capable estimator, she was also a highly efficient woman operating in a man’s world which was unheard of in those days.
Mr and Mrs Willis’ determination led to their winning some highly prestigious refurbishment projects including the Old Bailey, the Russian Embassy, and Heathrow Airport.
Mrs Willis took over the reins entirely when husband died and continued to run the company single-handed until she retired aged 72.
