Sir Nigel Broackes (21 July 1934 – 29 September 1999) was an English businessman and the founder of Trafalgar House, one of the United Kingdom's largest contracting businesses.
[1] He then did national service from 1951 to 1953 with the 3rd Hussars,[2][1] and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Armoured Corps in 1953,[3] leaving in 1954[4] After completing his national service, Broackes returned to Stewart & Hughman for a short time before deciding to go into business himself; three "unsuccessful and diverse ventures" in house conversion, hire purchase, and tool-making used up most of the inheritance he received from his grandfather, but he came to realize the development potential of London bomb-sites.
He worked for a West End estate agent for a short time to learn the property business, and a stockbroker friend of his mother helped him come into contact with potential financial backers.
[1] Eastern International became Trafalgar House and Broackes took a 21% stake in the business when it was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1963.
[1] After that Broackes and Matthews worked together to build Trafalgar House into one of the United Kingdom's largest contracting businesses.