Reed had been chief constructor to the Admiralty and helped Earle's to win a number of naval orders including the ironclad warships  (1874) and  (1875) for the Chilean Navy Later naval orders included two s for the Royal Navy (RN):  launched in 1891 and  launched in 1892.
Reed was a key figure in shipbuilding, working with Earle's to secure contracts for several naval vessels, including ironclad warships for the Chilean Navy in 1874 and 1875.  The Royal Navy (RN) also commissioned two ships from Reed's team in 1891 and 1892.