THE NINETIES
42
Credited with creating the World Wide Web in 1990 was Tim
Berners-Lee. This new form of communication became available
to the public a year later with three million computers connecting
to the internet. By 1996 that had risen to 10 million, and just two
years later to 130 million.
These were changing times internationally too. East and West
Germany became a single country; Iraqi tanks rolled into Kuwait,
which ultimately led to the Gulf War, and by the end of 1991 the
USSR formally ceased to exist. At home there was another
recession. Unemployment rose by 55% from 6.9% in 1990 to
10.7% in 1993, and company earnings reportedly fell by 25%.
Nevertheless, the decade got off to a good start for Vibroplant.
In 1990 there was the £2.3m acquisition of general plant hire
company Bath Plant, and its six south-west branches. Its waste
management business went shortly afterwards for £2.35m,
making the plant hire takeover a good deal.
(above)
Lighting a night-time road
surfacing contract
(right)
Groundforce helping Royal
Albert Hall restoration
IT WAS NOT ONLY THE COMPANY THAT EXPERIENCED
GREAT CHANGES IN THIS DECADE, BUT THE WORLD
AT LARGE.
