Local housebuilder Harron Homes North Midlands has recently announced that Julia Portington, who has 38 years of experience in the housebuilder industry, has been promoted from Sales Executive to Senior Sales Executive at Brierley Heath, Stanton Hill, Sutton in Ashfield. Prior to joining Harron Homes in July of 2022, Julia
To align with the plans for regional growth Keepmoat has set for the company, Matt, who was previously Land and Planning Director at Persimmon Homes, Linden Homes and Redrow Homes, has been appointed to support the existing land teams in the housebuilder’s East Midlands and Yorkshire East regions. Based in
Dominick Sandford, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect, said: “At the height of the pandemic in 2020, almost 80,000 construction workers were jobless. However, new data shows that the situation has vastly improved in recent months, and the sector’s unemployment rate is now at its lowest level since records began
PfP Capital, the Social Value and ESG-focused real estate fund manager, part of the UK’s leading social enterprise Places for People, has appointed Catherine Webster as its new Chief Executive Officer. Catherine, who starts at PfP Capital in January 2023, joins from property development and investment specialist Quintain where she is Executive Director for Strategy and Investment, leading on business
Boutique developer Life Less Ordinary has created five significant new roles, further expanding its workforce to deliver more homes. The move comes as it looks forward to continued growth with an appetite to see its output increase to a residential development value of over £50 million next year. In what
Solihull-based affordable housing specialist Living Space has promoted its commercial manager Steve Oldacre to Commercial Director, in recognition of his valuable contribution to the company. Among Steve’s enhanced roles will be to focus on the importance of a strong pipeline, identify opportunities for growth as well as developing and driving
Global construction cost consultancy, Soben has expanded its senior management team with the appointment of Pieter Schaap as Director. Pieter is the sixth director-level appointment to be made at Soben this year, with further growth planned in the coming months. Pieter joins award-winning Soben from Yondr Group, where he was Supply Chain Director
Scottish technology firm, Recycl8, has announced the appointment of new CEO, Mark Gillespie. The former energy executive will be working with the Recycl8 team to drive the firm’s business strategy as they enter the next stage in their development. Recycl8 founder and nationally regarded authority on waste management, Ian Skene,
Mark Green joins from ISG and assumes the role of Operations Director working out of Glencar’s expanding Midland’s office. Glencar, a leading UK construction company that was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses has today announced that it has hired Mark Green into the role of Operations Director. Mark
Birmingham-based The Construction Consultants (TCC) has announced its third senior appointment in as many months, with the recruitment of a new senior CDM consultant. Experienced health and safety professional, Paul Woods, has joined the expanding multi-disciplined construction consultancy to support a growing national demand for its services. Paul has established
Local housebuilder Harron Homes North Midlands has recently announced that Julia Portington, who has 38 years of experience in the housebuilder industry, has been promoted from Sales Executive to Senior Sales Executive at Brierley Heath, Stanton Hill, Sutton in Ashfield. Prior to joining Harron Homes in July of 2022, Julia had racked up 16 years of experience as a sales executive for another house builder, which meant that she joined Harron Homes with a ready set of skills and a wealth of experience. She also gained 22 years of experience as a sales manager in previous roles, which has complemented her skillset in her new role. “At Harron, I spend a lot of time liaising with our Sales Managers. I find that my own experience as a Sales Manager has enabled me to view things from both perspectives, which really makes our communication that much more effective. “I’m definitely a people person, and I think it’s this that encouraged me to apply as a Sales Executive. Being able to interact with both customers and fellow employees every day is definitely the most rewarding aspect of the job for me.” Originally starting her career with Harron Homes at The Grange, Harron’s Shireoaks development, Julia’s new role has her overseeing Brierly Heath, Stanton Hill, Sutton in Ashfield. “At Brierley Heath, I’m involved in coaching other Sales Executives, and feeding back marketing ideas to the company. We’re the troops on the ground really – we have first-hand experience of what the customers are looking for. It really helps us tailor our marketing ideas and approaches to what is most convenient and satisfying for the customer. “Brierley Heath is a lovely development,” adds Julia, “I’m genuinely enthusiastic about the houses I’m selling and am always keen to have my customers feel excited and satisfied with their purchase. “There’s a great variety in the customers you meet each day – some are old-hands in the housing business, purchasing their second or third home, while others are first time buyers. It’s wonderful to be instrumental in helping people get their first foot on the property ladder. “Our Part Exchange Scheme has made purchasing a home all the more convenient for new customers, and offers them easy moves. Schemes like this are one of the many ways I can ensure we leave the customer delighted with their purchase. “What’s really stood out about Harron Homes for me is how we all work together. There’s a real sense of collaboration in everything we do, and I’ve always felt I can turn to people for support or advice. I want this company to be the best, and am very excited to be playing my part in that.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
To align with the plans for regional growth Keepmoat has set for the company, Matt, who was previously Land and Planning Director at Persimmon Homes, Linden Homes and Redrow Homes, has been appointed to support the existing land teams in the housebuilder’s East Midlands and Yorkshire East regions. Based in Lincoln, Matt will be looking to fill gaps within the business’ development portfolio as the new Land and Partnerships Director, and secure land opportunities to ensure Keepmoat reaches its targets and fulfils its growth plans. His main focus will be to expand Keepmoat’s operations into the Lincolnshire area, covering towns such as Scunthorpe, Grimsby, Stamford, Grantham, and others, with a view to delivering much needed, energy-efficient homes that are fit for the future. “The East of the country, most specifically Lincolnshire and the East Riding, are areas of great potential for housebuilding, with some booming industries adding to the appeal, such as large-scale agriculture, engineering, and manufacturing. The region is also fantastically placed with towns such as York, Grantham, Newark and Retford having convenient rail and motorway connections, and there are some exciting developments proposed in North and North East Lincolnshire, which is also driving housing growth in the area,” said Marc when asked about his ambitions for the region. “I am keen to continue Keepmoat’s previous success of providing regenerated sites and thriving communities through our relationships with landowners, local authorities, land agents, and partners such as Homes England. Key to my role will be identifying and securing opportunities in the eastern corridor to push Keepmoat’s operational boundaries into Lincolnshire and strengthen its presence in East Yorkshire,” he added. Keepmoat is one of the UK’s leading partnership homebuilders and a leading brownfield builder. To align with the housebuilder’s aims, Matt will be leading on the negotiation and application for new land to regenerate into new communities. Together with local authorities and housing associations, he will continue to work towards the delivery of affordable, high-quality housing, as well as homes available for first-time buyers. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Dominick Sandford, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect, said: “At the height of the pandemic in 2020, almost 80,000 construction workers were jobless. However, new data shows that the situation has vastly improved in recent months, and the sector’s unemployment rate is now at its lowest level since records began in 1995. “In fact, at 36,000 (June-August 2022), the number of people out of work in the industry is now less than half of what it was two years ago. It’s also 11,000 fewer than the last data period (May-July 2022), and down 27,000 year-on-year (YOY). “Furthermore, job vacancies in the sector are on the rise, so the number of employed workers could increase further. Between July and September, there were 45,000 listings advertised, which was 1,000 more than the previous quarter, and 1,000 more than this time last year. “Compared to 2021, there is seemingly more work available too, as the average number of hours worked each week is higher. Twelve months ago, construction employees typically did 36.1-hour weeks, but that has now risen to 36.3. “Accordingly, earnings are also considerably greater. In construction, average weekly income now stands at £692, which is £29 higher than last year, while in the electricity, gas and water supply sector, weekly wages are now at £767, up £40 YOY. “These pay increases must be interpreted in the context of the current Cost of Living crisis and rocketing inflation rates. The recent statistics indicate that salaries have increased approximately 4% vs. this time last year, however current inflation rates sit at around 9%. Tradespeople are fuelling Britain’s growth, and salaries must continue rising to help offset soaring living costs in order to attract more professionals to the sector. The new data suggests that the industry is in a fairly healthy position to be able to support its workforce moving forwards, however there’s still more to be done.” For more information on IronmongeryDirect, visit: https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/ For more information on ElectricalDirect, visit: https://www.electricaldirect.co.uk/
PfP Capital, the Social Value and ESG-focused real estate fund manager, part of the UK’s leading social enterprise Places for People, has appointed Catherine Webster as its new Chief Executive Officer. Catherine, who starts at PfP Capital in January 2023, joins from property development and investment specialist Quintain where she is Executive Director for Strategy and Investment, leading on business strategy, financing and investment initiatives. Catherine has worked in real estate investment and finance for 30 years and has held several senior investor and lender roles including private equity, fund management and investment banking at Hudson Advisors (Lone Star Funds), TIAA & Lehman Brothers Global Real Estate. Catherine’s experience is pan-European, across residential and commercial sectors and as an owner, JV partner, fund investor, mezzanine and senior lender. PfP Capital currently has £600m under management across its three existing funds and a significant growth plan. Commenting on Catherine’s appointment, Greg Reed, Group Chief Executive Officer of Places for People, and board member of PfP Capital, said: “Catherine is a stellar appointment for us. Since it was founded five years ago, PfP Capital has been successful, and we now have big plans for growth; we have the opportunity to build on our success to-date and really scale-up the business. “We have a brilliant team in place at PfP Capital and we’re grateful for the work and vision of former MD Chris Jones who founded the PfP Capital business out of Places for People in 2017 and retired earlier this year. I know the experience and leadership Catherine brings will add greatly to our team and really drive us forward.” Catherine added: “I’m delighted to be joining PfP Capital to lead the next stage of its journey. PfP Capital has established itself as a key player with a strong reputation in the market. The excellent team has nurtured partnerships with leading institutional stakeholders and has built a great base for future expansion as we look to not only grow the existing funds but also add new funds. Backed by the power of Places for People, the potential for growth from this solid foundation is massive. Above all, with the company’s strong social purpose, we will have a positive impact on the communities we serve and the wider UK society.”
Boutique developer Life Less Ordinary has created five significant new roles, further expanding its workforce to deliver more homes. The move comes as it looks forward to continued growth with an appetite to see its output increase to a residential development value of over £50 million next year. In what amounts to an almost total re-structure of the construction team, Life Less Ordinary head hunted James Cross into the role of Head of Technical. James joins from Persimmon Homes and over a career that spans almost 40 years, he has gained experience with leading industry names that include Barratt Homes, Crest Nicholson, and Berkeley Homes. A member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, James is experienced in all aspects of residential development and has built an enviable track record of delivering complex residential and mixed used schemes. Life Less Ordinary has also strengthened its commercial team with Paul Litherland who arrives from Inland Homes to assume the role of Head of Commercial. Sponsored through his university degree by Taylor Woodrow Construction, Paul has gone on to gain experience with Kier Construction and Tolent Construction. Completing the commercial team line-up will be Ben Revel who joins as Assistant Surveyor to support Paul and develop the businesses procurement processes. Darren Breen, meanwhile, left Boshers to join Life Less Ordinary in the construction arm as Operations Manager. After working at Ballymore and Inland Homes, his experience and expertise in construction will allow the business to enhance its product offering with a closer eye to detail and the ability to scale up to a larger number of homes. Commenting on the new appointments, Hinesh Chawda, Director at Life Less Ordinary said: “We have a hugely ambitious appetite to deliver more quality, desirable homes and to do that it is vital that we have the very best senior experience within our team. “The combined experience and enthusiasm of James, Paul, Ben and Darren will allow us to ensure that we continue building quality, desirable homes and a consistently exceptional product as we move through a period of sustained growth.” Life Less Ordinary has also appointed Danielle Chevannes to the role of Customer Service Manager. As a business committed to delivering the strongest customer experience from initial enquiry through to sale completion and follow up, these appointments underscore the team’s focus on providing a customer focused full-service offering. Hinesh concludes: “We have witnessed the positive impact that controlling the entire development process has for the end user and the value that it brings to our customers in their new homes. Danielle will be the principal point of contact for all our buyers and ensure that our customer care matches the quality of the homes that we’re selling.”
Solihull-based affordable housing specialist Living Space has promoted its commercial manager Steve Oldacre to Commercial Director, in recognition of his valuable contribution to the company. Among Steve’s enhanced roles will be to focus on the importance of a strong pipeline, identify opportunities for growth as well as developing and driving the commercial function of the business. He brings to the senior role more than three decades of commercial experience, and says he is looking forward to the challenge ahead. “We have a tight-knit team here at Living Space,” said Steve, “and I am absolutely committed to retaining and strengthening the strong relationships across our commercial, construction and sub-contractors’ teams. Ensuring we are all fully integrated and tuned in to the needs of each department is key to an effective and productive good working practice.” Steve, who is MCIOB chartered, started his career at the age of 16 at J. Hickman & Sons, as a trainee QS, before beginning a five-year period at Bromsgrove builders Weavers – a career path move that he credits with providing and cementing some of the key skills of his professional life. After working for himself for a number of years, Steve joined Mansel PLC as a senior quantity surveyor where promotions followed through from managing quantity surveyor up to divisional manager. In 2013 he left the company to take up the position of Regional Commercial Manager for United Living Group in Wolverhampton where he stayed for eight years. He joined Living Space in 2021 following a spell at Vistry Group where he was Group Senior Surveyor. Paul Breen, Managing Director of Living Space, said: “Steve has played a pivotal role in developing our supply chain strategy, driving efficiencies, and developing our processes to improve supplier performance. In his 12 months as Commercial Manager, he demonstrated a professionalism and eye for detail that brought real value to our business. “This is well-deserved recognition of Steve’s contribution to Living Space Housing and the wider group and is a timely promotion as we accelerate our ambitious growth plans.” The overall value of Living Space’s development portfolio is now approaching £200million, which equates to 950 affordable houses, apartments and bungalows. The company is on track to deliver at least 20 developments over the next two years. It is the partnership arm of the WhatHouse? ‘Housebuilder of the Year’ Hayfield. The vast majority of the homes Living Space builds are delivered to Registered Providers (RPs) for affordable rent and shared ownership. Living Space sources the land, achieves planning consent and builds the homes for the RP, enabling them to focus on the funding and management of high-quality homes for their residents. For more information, visit www.livingspace.co.uk
Global construction cost consultancy, Soben has expanded its senior management team with the appointment of Pieter Schaap as Director. Pieter is the sixth director-level appointment to be made at Soben this year, with further growth planned in the coming months. Pieter joins award-winning Soben from Yondr Group, where he was Supply Chain Director for the APAC region. He brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise, including in oil and gas, petrochemical, and data centre sectors, and has a strong background in mission critical environments. Pieter’s initial key responsibilities include the formation of supply chain workstreams, sustainability transformations and organisational changes, and creating development activities that relate to Soben’s key clients. Pieter, born and raised in the Netherlands, and a master’s graduate of the University of Groningen, said: “Having the opportunity to work with clients around the globe and add real value to our industry is something I have always enjoyed. “Soben is enabling me to do what I love, and I am looking forward to making a strong impact.” Scott Smyth, Soben Founder and Group CEO commented: “I am delighted to welcome Pieter to the Soben team and know he will do an excellent job in overseeing the development of our global supply chain. “Pieter’s extensive leadership and knowledge in driving successful procurement strategies will benefit our clients and their stakeholders tremendously. “He also has fantastic relationship-building skills, which will help to further cement our strong ties with our current client base across the world. “I believe Pieter’s hire is a real statement of intent and perfectly demonstrates our underlying ambitions to build and develop a global company that offers the marketplace something different.” Soben has further plans for expansion, targeting 1000 people globally by 2027 to support growth in current locations and expansion into additional territories.
Scottish technology firm, Recycl8, has announced the appointment of new CEO, Mark Gillespie. The former energy executive will be working with the Recycl8 team to drive the firm’s business strategy as they enter the next stage in their development. Recycl8 founder and nationally regarded authority on waste management, Ian Skene, will move into the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO), where he will work closely with Mark and the wider team to bring their ground-breaking low carbon green concrete to market. Mark is a high-profile figure in the energy and renewables industries, having held senior executive roles across various companies including Global Marine Group, Royal IHC, Ecosse Subsea Systems as well as TechnipFMC and GE Oil & Gas. Founded by Ian Skene in 2019, Recycl8 works in collaboration with the waste-to-energy and global construction industries to transform Incinerator Bottom Ash (IBA) normally destined for landfill into a high-performing, low-carbon concrete solution. Ian said, “I’m delighted to welcome Mark to the Recycl8 team, and have no doubt he will excel in the role. Mark’s strong track record as a leader in the energy industry, with his particular expertise in the renewables sector, places us in a very strong position to work with all our stakeholders to bring our unique product to market. By working with us, concrete manufacturers can deliver a significantly reduced carbon footprint to our ever-growing demand for concrete, and waste-to-energy facilities have an alternative, circular economy solution to sending ash to landfill. “Mark’s appointment is extremely timely. We were recently awarded patent status for our low-carbon concrete solution, which means we are the only company in the UK permitted to process IBA and transform it into our concrete mix. As we look to build on this milestone, Mark’s appointment will strengthen our team and drive our progress in this next exciting phase of the business.” Mark added, “I’m excited to join Recycl8 and work alongside Ian and the team. I’ve long admired Ian’s pioneering work in the waste management industry, and I’m passionate about helping Recycl8 in their bid to foster the circular economy and reduce the carbon footprint of the construction and waste-to-energy industries. I look forward to building on the excellent work that Ian and the team have done over the past three years.” Recycl8 is a socially and environmentally conscious company which is committed to contributing to the circular economy and to supporting businesses and communities reach their net zero goals. The company is currently exploring potential bases in the Central Belt area, in a bid to be closer to waste-to-energy incinerator plants, and to be more centrally located for concrete manufacturers and other stakeholders across the UK. Recycl8 previously secured a 7-figure investment from energy industry figures, Mike Wilson founder of Ecosse Subsea Systems and Doug Duguid founder of global engineering firm, EnerMech, as well as a 6-figure grant by Innovate UK to assist with the testing process. Since then, Reycycl8 have achieved several milestones, including being awarded their patent status for their solution, appointing Lloyd Duncan to assist with expanding into the renewable sector specifically targeting wind farms, as well as being shortlisted for Innovation of the Year at this year’s Elevator Awards. Both Mark and Ian will be attending RWM – the recycling, resource and environmental services conference in Birmingham this week (14th to 15th September). For more information visit https://www.r8iba.com
Mark Green joins from ISG and assumes the role of Operations Director working out of Glencar’s expanding Midland’s office. Glencar, a leading UK construction company that was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses has today announced that it has hired Mark Green into the role of Operations Director. Mark will be based at Glencar’s expanding Midlands office based in Solihull, Birmingham. Mark joins from Construction Services Company ISG after more than 21 years with the business. He initially started out at ISG Pearce as Operations Manager and more latterly held the position of Divisional Operations Director based in Bristol, where he was also Account Lead for Tesco. In his role at ISG Mark oversaw leading programs of work along with large individual projects on the Tesco retail account together with several large multi-million Amazon distribution schemes. Speaking about the announcement Glencar CEO Eddie McGillycuddy said: “We are delighted to welcome Mark into the business who brings significant experience and expertise which will strengthen our Midlands office significantly. We continue to experience extremely strong growth right across the Midlands market and industrial/logistics sector so this appointment will not only strengthen and expand our team but enable growth through increased resources and customer partnerships. Talking about his appointment Operations Director Mark Green said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have this opportunity with Glencar and very happy to be joining during a time of such rapid growth and regional expansion with many exciting projects under construction across the Midlands and in the pipeline. I have worked in the construction industry for many years and my values reflect those of the company; working as a team to put the customer first and grow strong, strategic partnerships. I look forward to working with the Midlands team to build repeat business and further growth.”
Birmingham-based The Construction Consultants (TCC) has announced its third senior appointment in as many months, with the recruitment of a new senior CDM consultant. Experienced health and safety professional, Paul Woods, has joined the expanding multi-disciplined construction consultancy to support a growing national demand for its services. Paul has established a track record for the successful delivery of construction design and management services during a 25-year career in health and safety, spanning the public and private sectors. He specialises in areas including pre-construction and construction phase planning and management, as well as auditing, inspection, safe systems of work and the production of safety management systems. Recent experience includes the delivery of support services to the UK and North West Europe safety teams at Fujitsu, where he was a senior health and safety manager for more than a decade. The appointment further complements TCC’s 18-strong specialist team and follows the recent recruitment of Allan Davies as Director and Clint Howell as Senior Building Surveyor. Co-founder and Director of TCC, Alex Pimley said that the firm had spent many months selecting the best candidate for the new role. He said: “Our success has been built on long-term client relationships and industry-leading services, so it’s crucial that we employ the very best professionals in our sector. “Paul is hugely experienced in the built environment and well respected in his field, having delivered services in all aspects of health and safety for the likes of the Ministry of Defence and Croydon Council. His expertise will be an invaluable asset to us as we move into the next phase of our business growth.” TCC is an independent, multi-disciplined construction consultancy headquartered in Cannon Street, Birmingham. Launched in 2017, it has developed a growing portfolio of clients including The Gym Group, Zone Developments, Ocado, Equation Properties, Panattoni, BentallGreenOak, Godwin Developments, Wolverhampton Council, University of Wolverhampton and St Francis Group. It specialises in a wide range of disciplines, most notably project management, employer’s agent, quantity surveying, fund monitoring and CDM consultancy.
