James Abbott has been appointed Land and Partnerships Director at the Keepmoat Homes South Midlands region. James joins the national housebuilder with 16 years of experience in the construction industry, having previously worked as Land Director at Morris Homes Eastern, where he worked for four years after joining them as Head of Land. James will lead the Keepmoat Homes South Midlands Land and Partnerships team, supporting land acquisition and development projects in the region. The role will see James manage land acquisition strategy for the top ten housebuilder, ensuring the business meets its five-year plan within the region. This will include maintaining existing relationships with key land agents, local authorities and affordable housing providers, as well as forming new connections to expand opportunities in the area. Mick O’Farrell, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat Homes, said: “It’s great to have James onboard, he will be a fantastic asset to the team. He brings to our business a wealth of experience and the kind of attitude which aligns with our regional aspiration for continued growth, and has a clear remit to support us in meeting our development targets.” James Abbott, Land and Partnerships Director at Keepmoat Homes, said: “I’m thrilled to join the team at Keepmoat, as they have an established reputation for entering into partnerships to deliver much-needed quality homes at affordable prices. This is reinforced by our 5-star Home Builders Federation rating, which we are rightly proud of. “I’m excited about building strong relationships with key land partners, registered providers and local authorities, and to be working alongside a dynamic team to deliver the forecast growth for the region.”

Following a successful sales year, Leeds-based Harron Homes Yorkshire has welcomed Vicki Armitage to its sales team as Senior Sales Manager, along with four new sales executives. In the last year Harron has implemented a number of changes to improve the customer experience during the Coronavirus pandemic, including a 24/7 web-chat function on the website, and an appointment only system to ensure customers receive the undivided attention of the sales team. With nearly two decades of sales experience under her belt, Vicki is well placed to continue developing the customer journey at Harron. From selling on site, to a management position at another housebuilder, Vicki’s experience and knowledge of the building industry will serve Harron well when it comes to selling the increased number of homes they’re expecting to have available next year. Vicki is also familiar with some of the Harron team having previously worked with Alison Taylor-Shaw, Harron’s Sales and Marketing Director. “Having previously worked with Alison, I was confident she’s leading a driven and ambitious team which I was excited to join; we’re all keen to support each other in doing the best we can for the company. I’m thrilled to be stepping into a more senior role with the opportunity to grow and prove myself through more ambitious sales targets than ever before,” commented Vicki. Anticipating a robust property market, and increasing popularity of the stunning rural locations Harron is known for, bids have been placed on 13 plots of land throughout Yorkshire while four new sites are currently awaiting planning permission to bring 671 new homes across Yorkshire. “This is an incredibly exciting time for our business with Harron having built a name for itself over the last few decades for creating spacious, quality and high specification properties in some of Yorkshire’s most sought after locations. I’m sure Vicki will be an asset to the team and lead the way as our newest developments come to fruition,” added Alison Taylor-Shaw, Sales and Marketing Director for Harron Homes Yorkshire.

Grand Rapids-based Orion Construction’s CEO Roger Rehkopf has announced he is “passing the baton” as company president, while remaining CEO of the commercial construction contractor. Rehkopf has appointed VP of Pre-Construction Brad Walsh as the company’s president. In addition to Walsh, Rehkopf made the following other appointments: Kathy Ringnalda, controller and office manager, as CFO; DuWayne Johnson, senior project manager, as VP Multi-Family; and Jeff Smigielski, senior project manager, as VP Construction and Logistics. “For over a decade, I have had the privilege to be part of the driving force behind constructing many of the successful businesses, entertainment and dining establishments throughout the city of Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Holland, Lansing, Flint and beyond,” said Rehkopf. “While I will continue to remain CEO of Orion Construction, I trust that, under Brad’s leadership, the company will continue to thrive in enhancing Michigan’s cityscapes well into the future.” Rehkopf joined Orion Construction as part owner in 2014. With more than 35 years of experience in construction project management and business development, he has a strong background in architectural design and design build projects. Walsh joined Orion in 2015 as project manager with multi-faceted experience within the commercial construction industry. His construction knowledge spans commercial, municipal and industrial projects comprising of government, university and healthcare projects nationwide. Under his supervision and leadership, Walsh has overseen the completion of several mid-rise, mixed-use and multi-family projects, including Heritage Place, Rivers Edge and Gateway at Belknap Apartments. Additionally, he managed the construction process of many notable restaurants in downtown Grand Rapids, such as Wheelhouse, Holiday Bar, and Linear Restaurant, and Corner Bar in Rockford. “Roger has been an outstanding company president of Orion Construction throughout the past seven years, and through his leadership and vision, has contributed to the creation of much of the region’s commercial landscape,” Walsh said. “I am honored to fill Roger’s shoes as Orion’s new company president and continue to grow our footprint in West Michigan and beyond.” Since its founding in 2000, Orion Construction has managed many distinguishable multi-family, high-rise and mixed-use construction projects in the entertainment, dining, education, community, healthcare, and hotel and conference industries. Notable projects include: The Warner Building, 20 Monroe Live, Venue Tower, Spectrum Health Bridgewater, and Arena Place in downtown Grand Rapids; Hyatt Place in Lansing; MSU Student Village in East Lansing; Blue Water Convention Center, and Baker College in Port Huron; Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec (SMR) in Marysville; and The Lodge and Alpine Student Housing in Allendale.

RED Construction South West has announced the appointment of two senior directors to establish the business in the region. Grant Millar has joined as Operations Director and James Devey as Commercial Director. They will work alongside Derek Quinn, who launched the business as Managing Director at the beginning of September. With a combined 50 years’ expertise delivering high-profile and sustainable construction solutions for the region, Grant and James join RED South West to deliver across a wide range of markets in line with regional requirements. These include commercial, residential, education and industrial buildings. Grant has spent most of his career immersed in the South West construction market. As RED South West’s Operations Director, he oversees the division’s development and high-quality project delivery. James Devey’s civil and structural design construction career has been based mainly in Bristol and the surrounding areas. He brings a wealth of regional market knowledge and complex project delivery experience to the business. “RED South West is going to be one of the major contractors in the region, one which excels in not only delivering to the highest quality but also providing outstanding customer service and communication. The strengthening of the team comes at an extremely pivotal time for the new division of RED Construction Group, and it is imperative we build a team with the expertise, reputation and passion for the industry. I have had the pleasure of working with Grant and James for many years and feel very proud to be paving the way in the South West with such a strong and committed team. Being based in an office, within an award-winning development we helped to create and in one of the most historically inventive cities in the UK, makes the beginning of RED South West even more auspicious,” commented RED South West Managing Director, Derek Quinn. Coinciding with the appointment of Grant and James, RED South West has opened its Bristol office, taking a prime position in the 235,000 sq. ft Print Hall & Unity Street development, which forms part of the 2.4m sq. ft Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone. It is one of the UK’s largest urban regeneration projects, comprising commercial, residential, leisure and retail use. In their previous roles, Derek, Grant and James worked together on the Construction Excellence Award-winning Print Hall & Unity Street project.

A Midlands-based social landlord has appointed three new heads of service within its asset management function. Platform Housing Group – one of the UK’s largest social landlords – has appointed Samantha Evans as Head of Strategic Asset Management; Martin Woods as Head of External Contracts and Stephen Edwards as Head of Sustainability. The roles – which are all new within the organisation – are part of an ongoing development of the business area. As the new Head of Strategic Asset Management, Samantha Evans’ role is to develop operational plans to future proof Platform homes; she will also be responsible for asset performance evaluation, identifying risks and areas of low performance and developing strategies and standards to address these. Sam will head up a team that is responsible for monitoring the condition of Platform’s homes and planning for the improvements that are needed to keep them safe, affordable and desirable for our customers. Prior to joining Platform, Samantha was Asset Manager at Citizen Housing for 14 years. Samantha said : “I am delighted to join Platform at this stage of its journey to deliver an ambitious programme of change. My aim is to implement an integrated active asset management approach which will place Platform as the ‘go to’ organisation for the service. Having spent my career in social housing, I am passionate about the impact our sector has on improving our customers lives. I see asset management as much more than just bricks and mortar; it is about providing our customers with desirable, safe and affordable homes, a foundation for life. Our duty is to manage our assets by being socially motivated and commercially minded in order to re-invest surpluses into delivering our social purpose and improving the life chances of our customers.” Martin Woods – who has joined Platform Housing Group as Head of External Contracts – was previously Head of Asset Management at Lincolnshire Housing Partnership where he was responsible for planned maintenance, building safety, asset management as well as development and sales delivery. In his new role, Martin will head up a team responsible for the delivery of maintenance work that is not delivered by Platform Property Care. Martin said : “It is such an exciting time to be joining Platform; the asset team is at the beginning of a journey that looks set to impact significantly on the way we work and deliver services to our customers. Social housing is more important than ever, as the population continues to grow and people find it increasingly difficult to purchase a home outright. Our role is to drive up the quality of social housing as much as possible to create communities where people want to live and feel safe. I am looking forward to playing my part and making a difference.” The social landlord has also appointed Stephen Edwards as Head of Sustainability; previously employed at Catalyst Housing Limited as Sustainability Manager, this new role at Platform will see Stephen developing a sustainability strategy for the Group, identifying opportunities for decarbonising its homes and supporting the implementation of green and emerging technologies. Stephen said : “It is a privilege to be here at Platform supporting our journey to zero carbon and creating a more sustainable future. I have always had a passion for the environment and have been embedding sustainable thinking into my work for more than 25 years. The challenge of achieving net zero carbon is huge and probably the most important challenge of our lifetimes. I look forward to helping Platform become a leading sustainable organisation.” Linda Colburn, Director of Strategic Asset Management at Platform Housing Group said : “We are thrilled to welcome Martin, Stephen and Sam to Platform. They bring a depth and breadth of expertise in asset management, delivery and sustainability that will allow us to redraw the traditional way the sector sees asset management into a much more integrated approach. They will be integral in helping set the Platform Standard from development stage onwards as well as co-designing our investment interventions with our customers. Their expertise will allow us to map out our path to zero carbon and integrate that into our investment programmes and how we manage the estate; understanding how our homes impact our customers to deliver to them increased safety, affordability, utility and pride.” Linda concluded : “We have created these roles to provide the additional focus needed to become a truly modern assets function in a truly modern housing association. The central pillars of building safety, strategic asset management, investment, delivery and sustainability will each be led by a Head of Service, forming an integrated team with a holistic view of how we improve the value of our homes to customers and achieve the highest standards of asset management.” Platform Housing Group – which owns 46,000 homes in total – completed 1448 homes in 2019/20 (1,598 in 2018/19) at an investment of £258m (£228m in 2018/19). The Group also built more social rented homes – at a figure of 981 – during the past 2 years in England than any other provider, 523 in 2019/20, almost 33% of the total homes built. Platform Housing Group’s operating area is from Herefordshire in the West to the Lincolnshire coast in the East, and from the Derbyshire Dales in the North to the Cotswolds in the South.