Actis regional sales director and Women in Construction ambassador Jemma Harris has been inspiring young women to reject stereotypes and follow their dreams of a career in a male-dominated profession. Jemma, who is responsible for sales growth in the UK Northern region, was speaking to year 11 students at a
Appointment central to realising its long-term vision for sustainable growth GMI Construction Group PLC has appointed Lee Powell to the newly created role of Chief Executive Officer to realise its vision of long-term sustainable growth. One of the UK’s largest independent construction companies in the North of England and The
Prologis UK has appointed two new customer-facing staff to focus on maintaining and developing customer relationships as demand for logistics property continues to grow. Will Cassar and Milena Blair will be drawing on their experience in the property and logistics sector to support customers in securing logistics facilities in the
Bellway South Midlands has appointed a new land manager as part of an ambitious growth plan across the region. Christy McLean has joined the housebuilder, which has its regional headquarters in Coventry, as the division sets its sights on increasing the number of houses it builds every year from 352
Abode, award-winning designer and distributor of market leading kitchen taps, sinks, bathroom taps & showering solutions is delighted to welcome Frank Cassidy, newly appointed Project Engineer within its Design & Quality Department to support and manage a wide range of exciting projects and development opportunities currently ongoing, planned-in or new
Stephen Davies has been promoted to Operations Director for Wales at Bouygues UK. Stephen joined Bouygues UK as Technical Director in 2018 having previously enjoyed over 30 years’ experience in the construction industry working in the UK, Canada and the UAE in various technical, operational and leadership roles. During his
Multi award winning developer Shanly Homes welcomes Christie Alaimo as Sales & Marketing Director to its Thames Valley region. Covering a variety of new homes schemes across North London, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, Christie will be responsible for driving the region forward and continuing the growth of the company. “I was
There’s no getting away from the fact that demolition projects can be disruptive – but that doesn’t mean the industry can’t offer a wide variety of benefits for local communities. Of course, nobody working in the demolition industry needs to be persuaded of the long-term advantages we bring to local
Two sales executives have recently been promoted within Harron Homes. Rebecca Nixon from Doncaster, and Ellie Wyles from Huddersfield, are now senior sales executives at Harron’s North Yorkshire developments, Bishop’s Glade and Hockley Croft respectively. After just four months with Harron, 24-year-old Rebecca was put forward for promotion by Senior
Leading property developer and investor, Scarborough Group International (SGI) has announced the promotion of Adam Varley to the role of Development Director to help accelerate the Group’s ambitious growth strategy. Adam joined SGI in February 2020 as Commercial Director and has achieved a number of significant milestones in little over
Actis regional sales director and Women in Construction ambassador Jemma Harris has been inspiring young women to reject stereotypes and follow their dreams of a career in a male-dominated profession. Jemma, who is responsible for sales growth in the UK Northern region, was speaking to year 11 students at a school in Hull, and shared her own career path working in two very traditionally ‘macho’ environments – the Royal Navy, where she worked as a weapons engineer, and construction. She talked about the additional obstacles she, along with many women, faced to get to the top of the career tree – with advice on how to overcome them. She added that a depressing Gender Gap Index report report stated that it would take 108 years for society to close the global gender gap. She told them: “It sounds pretty boring selling insulation, but there’s actually a lot more to it than that. You get involved with the whole design and build process in construction and the eco side of things – saving the planet. “However, I have had to put the hard work in and overcome many obstacles, particularly as a woman in the industry that I currently work in and during my service in the Royal Navy. “I had to work that bit harder than the boys, particularly on board a ship. I was promoted later than others because I was a girl. I was overlooked for certain positions. These obstacles didn’t deter me from my goals. They made me more determined to succeed and prove myself to be just as good.” Her naval career also saw her receiving a medal for her role in the Gulf War, play football and win a physical fitness award. The talk inspired the young women to rethink their pre-conceived notions of the world of work, with 87.5% of them interested in pursuing a career in sales or business, as a result of what Jemma told them. Responses included: “Jemma’s talk gave us a chance to show young women that they can do anything that they actually want to do and that they don’t have to do the stereotypical ‘girl jobs’ and that girls are just as good as boys and that everything should be equal.” Another attendee said: “It helped open young minds that they shouldn’t listen to people who tell them that they can’t so something because they are a girl and that this is a ‘guy job.’”Jemma added: “Diversity and inclusion are always something industries should strive for. I’d like to think that, along with other women in the industry, we are making an impact and difference in inspiring the next female generation to get involved in construction.”
Appointment central to realising its long-term vision for sustainable growth GMI Construction Group PLC has appointed Lee Powell to the newly created role of Chief Executive Officer to realise its vision of long-term sustainable growth. One of the UK’s largest independent construction companies in the North of England and The Midlands, it is preparing to expand into other regions and sectors and the new CEO will implement a strategy of achieving constant and controlled growth while maintaining its debt free status. The company, which has offices in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Teesside, is forecasting an annual turnover in excess of £350m for 2022 and has already secured £300m worth of opportunities. Lee, previously the company’s Divisional Managing Director for Yorkshire, has already overseen exceptional growth in Yorkshire, together with its recent expansion into the North East region – establishing an office in Stockton-on-Tees, with a dedicated team of local professionals headed by a newly appointed Operations Director. GMI Construction Group, which provides specialist design and build capabilities spanning multiple sectors, is currently involved in a range of high-profile projects, including: £200M development to create a train manufacturing plant, infrastructure and rail supply chain village for Siemens Mobility in Goole, East Yorkshire £30M office building at Thorpe Park, Leeds 437,000 sq. ft fulfilment centre for an online fashion retailer at Fradley Park in Lichfield, Staffordshire A new-build residential block comprising 259 apartments over 11 storeys, forming part of the £200M Becketwell regeneration scheme in Derby £30M extension to a helicopter manufacturing facility It already counts major companies and significant brands such as Tritax Symmetry, St Modwen, Scarborough Group, Graftongate, St James Securities, The Alumno Group, Opus North, HBD, Peel Land & Property, Muse, Legal & General, and Evans Property Group among its clients. David Shann, Chief Executive of GMI’s parent company Highgrove Group PLC, said: “Lee’s appointment to this newly-created CEO role underlines our commitment to strengthen and grow our presence in the regions where we already operate, as well as looking towards developing new opportunities. “As CEO, we believe Lee has the experience, energy and ability to take GMI to the next level. Equally at home on site or in the boardroom, he has already proven to be a major driver within the business and is responsible for helping create our enviable reputation for delivering quality developments on time and within budget.” Lee Powell, CEO of GMI Construction Group, said: “I’m enormously proud to become CEO of GMI Construction Group, a role which is focused on growing our presence in our operating regions and facilitating growth of the business in a controlled and sustainable manner. “As the UK continues to level up across all of its key regions, I want to ensure GMI is right at the heart of that growth and powering forward with our expert team of industry leading professionals who continue to deliver excellence on project after project. “I am however consciously aware that GMI needs to implement that growth byretaining those values that has delivered success to this company and our clients. These include using local suppliers and sub-contractors whenever possible, as well as creating educational opportunities, to bring maximum economic benefit to the communities we are operating in.”
Prologis UK has appointed two new customer-facing staff to focus on maintaining and developing customer relationships as demand for logistics property continues to grow. Will Cassar and Milena Blair will be drawing on their experience in the property and logistics sector to support customers in securing logistics facilities in the locations they need and ensuring their transition to a new property is as seamless and hassle-free as possible. They will be working with a variety of customers, large and small, including many household names such as Royal Mail, boohoo, Dunelm, Eddie Stobart and Tesco. Both Will and Milena will be responsible for working closely with customers at all 22 Prologis Parks in the UK to deliver successful outcomes, help navigate market conditions, solve problems and provide flexibility, and support for bids and pitches. They will also be responsible for engaging with customers around initiatives such as PARKLife, training programmes and green transport schemes. Will Cassar is joining Prologis’ Capital Deployment team and will focus on helping to grow the company’s Customer Led Development business. In his previous role at CBRE he acted for some existing Prologis’ customers, such as Dunelm, and also has experience of working with real estate teams at Geodis, LG Electronics, General Electric, and leading online retailers. Phil Oakley, vice president, Customer Led Development at Prologis UK, said: “Will brings a great deal of experience to support us in expanding our Customer Led Development business across the UK. Having worked with Prologis and some our customers previously, he has first-hand knowledge of our high standards when building and maintaining customer relationships. I look forward to working with Will and I am convinced that he will be an asset to the UK team and the wider business.” Formerly at ADP, Milena Blair joined Prologis in November 2021 as of Real Estate and Customer Experience manager for London and the Southeast. Her role focuses on developing and strengthening customer relationships within the region, the development of Prologis Essentials business lines, and helping to build the PARKLife experience for the benefit of customers in the region. She has a particular focus on community outreach, social responsibility and sustainability. Stuart Davies, real estate and customer experience lead at Prologis UK, said: “Milena is an important addition to our team, and she brings a wealth of experience in areas such as client management, customer care and supporting the introduction of new business lines. These attributes are already proving to be important assets and we are delighted to have Milena onboard.”
Bellway South Midlands has appointed a new land manager as part of an ambitious growth plan across the region. Christy McLean has joined the housebuilder, which has its regional headquarters in Coventry, as the division sets its sights on increasing the number of houses it builds every year from 352 to 500. The division is looking for land opportunities throughout Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire and West Northamptonshire as it seeks to expand its housebuilding operations. “I am delighted to be joining Bellway which has an enviable reputation as a national housebuilder of high-quality new homes. These are exciting times as the industry, and the country as a whole, starts to bounce back from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic,” said Christy, 27, from Solihull. “But these times are particularly exciting at Bellway South Midlands because the division has recently moved to new offices in Coventry and has assembled a new land team to help achieve its growth targets. I have just joined the team while the Land Director Dan Forrester has only been in his role for a while and land graduate Alice Fish has also recently been appointed. “The aim is to expand our operations so that we are increasing the number of houses we build from 352 last year to 500 a year within the next few years. That is an increase of 42 per cent which represents an ambitious target and a real challenge for us as a team.” Christy, who was formerly a land manager at another housebuilder, is looking forward to his new role which will include sourcing land, conducting land appraisals, negotiating land deals and using his knowledge and skills to secure new sites for development. “I spotted the job advert on LinkedIn and thought it was time for me to take a step up in my career,” added Christy. “The first challenge was to get the job which I did and now the next target is to help the land team at Bellway South Midlands grow and hit its annual build numbers.” Bellway South Midlands is currently building new homes at nine sites in Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire and Northamptonshire.
Abode, award-winning designer and distributor of market leading kitchen taps, sinks, bathroom taps & showering solutions is delighted to welcome Frank Cassidy, newly appointed Project Engineer within its Design & Quality Department to support and manage a wide range of exciting projects and development opportunities currently ongoing, planned-in or new to both brand and business. “I have always been resolved to improving and refining processes to create the best possible, quality products for the end user and so it was an easy decision for me to accept the offer to join Abode. The in-house product design and development team, which is based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire is renowned for its industry-wide commitment to delivering market leading products – year in, year out. I am therefore eager to make an impression and be at the forefront of brand development alongside some of the company’s best award-winning designers,” commented Frank Cassidy, newly appointed Project Engineer at Abode. Frank’s new role will largely impact future growth as Abode enters a new phase of business evolution in 2022 with a series of product innovations and new commercial prospects to be unveiled next year. His previous role as Quality, Technical & Maintenance Manager for a leading kitchen manufacturer saw him responsible for tooling development and process improvements, which will be put to good use given the level of excellence and ingenuity on offer at Abode. “We are thrilled to welcome Frank to the Adobe family and are keen to harness his extensive industry experience to focus on generating new market potential for our portfolio of products. With over 34 years’ experience and extensive technical knowledge, his addition will be a genuine advantage to us as we continue to develop the Abode brand over future years,” said Matthew Pitt, Managing Director at Abode. “Frank is so tuned in to our company values and for us, tap and sink design is not just about problem solving, it’s a real skill. Our mission has always been to deliver the right mix of aspirational design, quality, performance and product evaluation and I am confident Frank will help strengthen our position market-wide,” added Paul Illingworth, Design Manager at Abode.
Stephen Davies has been promoted to Operations Director for Wales at Bouygues UK. Stephen joined Bouygues UK as Technical Director in 2018 having previously enjoyed over 30 years’ experience in the construction industry working in the UK, Canada and the UAE in various technical, operational and leadership roles. During his varied career he has delivered major and multi-disciplined projects including GCHQ headquarters in Cheltenham, Southmead General Hospital in Bristol, Dubai Festival City and the first phase of the Battersea Power Station residential development in London. Most recently, Stephen has supported the Bouygues UK project team in delivering Cardiff Innovation Centre for Cardiff University and helped secure Bouygues UK’s flagship project in Swansea – 71/72 The Kingsway. A Cardiff native, Stephen now lives in Ogmore by Sea with his young family and is particularly keen on promoting sustainability and best practice within the construction industry. He has played a key role in developing Bouygues UK’s climate change policy, which has ambitious targets for the company to be operationally net zero by 2030, both internally and on site. Stephen said of his promotion: “I am thrilled to be promoted to Operations Director for Wales and look forward to working with our wonderful teams to promote business improvement and deliver fully-integrated solutions that serve to underpin the success of our projects and promote our reputation within Wales. I originally joined Bouygues UK because of its great reputation and ambition to improve and deliver quality projects for its clients. “Bouygues UK is very highly regarded in Wales, particularly for its education projects, such as Cardiff Innovation Campus and Pencoedtre High School. I’m looking forward to building on this even further.” Rob Bradley, CEO of Bouygues UK, said of Steve’s appointment: “Stephen is a much-valued member of the Bouygues UK team, and this promotion is testament to his brilliant work and leadership. He has a wealth of experience in the construction industry. I look forward to working even closer with him in his new role to further ensure Bouygues UK’s continued success.”
Multi award winning developer Shanly Homes welcomes Christie Alaimo as Sales & Marketing Director to its Thames Valley region. Covering a variety of new homes schemes across North London, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, Christie will be responsible for driving the region forward and continuing the growth of the company. “I was drawn to Shanly Homes as an admired privately-owned business in the South East. I welcome the fresh approach Shanly takes to housebuilding and the family values of the business align with my own personal standards. The quality of properties that Shanly build is second to none, and I’m really looking forward to getting involved in an exciting array of developments – both current and upcoming – and working alongside the sales and construction teams across the Thames Valley region,” commented Christie Alaimo, Sales & Marketing Director at Shanly Homes. Bringing 20 years’ experience in the residential property sector, Christie joins as Sales and Marketing Director following seven years at Kent-based Hodson Developments. Prior to this, Christie undertook several directorial roles at Linden Homes, L&Q and Redrow Homes, gaining skills in strategic and business planning alongside operations management. “I’m thrilled that Christie has joined our Thames Valley team. She comes to us with an extensive background in property and I don’t doubt she is going to bring fresh ideas and plenty of experience that will contribute greatly to the performance and future of the company, specifically in the Thames Valley region,” said Managing Director for Shanly Homes, Tim Nutt. Shanly Homes is currently delivering a selection of exciting schemes which include 182 homes at Waterside Quarter in Maidenhead, 20 contemporary apartments at Hillgrove House in Edgware and nine luxury apartments at Uplands Park Place in Enfield. Upcoming developments in 2022 include 93 homes at Little Green in Aston Clinton and a selection of houses and apartments at Lightfield in Barnet. The award-winning brand is renowned across the South East as they create sustainable, architecturally innovative homes which are designed to complement the local environment.
There’s no getting away from the fact that demolition projects can be disruptive – but that doesn’t mean the industry can’t offer a wide variety of benefits for local communities. Of course, nobody working in the demolition industry needs to be persuaded of the long-term advantages we bring to local areas. Demolition projects are often a vital part of urban renewal plans, for example, clearing the way for the regenerative benefits of a revitalised environment. McKinsey has highlighted the urgency surrounding urban transformation brought on by the pandemic. Its report on the Bloomberg New Economy Forum notes that while cities still have a prominent part to play in our lives, we need to rethink what city centres look like – for example by making shopping more experiential in a way that can’t be replicated when making an online purchase. While demolition plays a huge and necessary role in that kind of regeneration, it’s completely understandable that local people, facing short-term disruptions to their lives, aren’t always inclined to take a broader, long-term view of the situation. As such, it’s important that the demolition industry takes the initiative to proactively demonstrate and expand upon the ways in which we contribute to the communities we serve. One of the most tangible and immediately impactful ways of doing this is to employ local labour for the various non-permanent roles that each project needs to fill. The community benefits of engaging local labour It goes without saying that providing a source of employment within a given community is going to have positive ramifications. Offering jobs to local people will stimulate the community’s economy and forge closer connections between demolition firms and the people around them – and there’s scope for firms to make a real difference in that arena. Hiring ex-military personnel, for example – as we plan to do on an upcoming project – could have a hugely positive impact on a deserving group. According to pre-pandemic research from Barclays, around 22 per cent of armed forces leavers face employment difficulties. Stepping in to help resolve this issue is completely within the grasp of demolition firms up and down the country. Alternatively, firms might consider employing younger, less experienced people for some of its junior positions. After all, the industry can be highly rewarding, but – beyond childhood images of wrecking balls and explosions – it’s not one that many young people will have considered as a career path. In setting young people’s feet on this path, demolition firms can contribute towards changing the current youth unemployment problem. The House of Lords Youth Unemployment Committee has just recently pointed out that one in eight under 25s are neither working, in education, nor in training – leaving the stage set for the industry to give back to the community in an instantly substantive way. Local councils have recently woken up to benefits like these, with some new projects requiring the employment of local people – ten per cent of the workforce, in some cases – in order to satisfy and discharge planning conditions. But firms are under no obligation to limit themselves to these minimum requirements – especially considering the advantages that local labour can offer demolition projects. Advantages of local labour for demolition firms Beneficial though employing local labour can be for communities, this isn’t just an empty gesture towards CSR. There are, in fact, a wealth of varied advantages for demolition firms which embrace local labour. Taking a broad view, there are wide-ranging implications for the environmental impact of projects which employ local people. With several employees living close to demolition sites, the carbon emissions associated with commuting will be reduced or eliminated altogether. This is of great benefit for firms looking to reduce their carbon footprint – something we should all be looking to embrace. According to the International Energy Agency, road vehicles account for three quarters of all emissions, so taking steps to limit their usage is a fantastically beneficial aspect of local labour. Leaving aside the wider environmental ramifications, local labour can also provide practical, on-the-job advantages to firms prepared to embrace it. Employing local people allows firms to access new pools of talent and different skill sets, which isn’t necessarily possible if firms choose to ferry existing employees to faraway sites on a regular basis. These different skill sets come to the fore when – returning to a previous example – firms hire ex-military personnel. Military veterans are trained to operate in high-risk environments, making them well suited to the demolition industry – and a prime instance of the transferable skills that local labour can offer. Clearly, then, the practice of hiring locally has extensive ramifications – for the environment, for local economies, for local people in need of good employment in a rewarding profession, and for an industry whose long-term efforts to improve local areas can be matched by an immediate and tangible contribution to the communities it serves. Written for BDC Magazine by Ben Griffiths, SHE and Operations Director, Rye Group
Two sales executives have recently been promoted within Harron Homes. Rebecca Nixon from Doncaster, and Ellie Wyles from Huddersfield, are now senior sales executives at Harron’s North Yorkshire developments, Bishop’s Glade and Hockley Croft respectively. After just four months with Harron, 24-year-old Rebecca was put forward for promotion by Senior Sales Manager Vicki Armitage, who recognised Rebecca’s enthusiasm and skill in the position. Rebecca said: “I’m always striving to reach the next level, and am delighted to be progressing so quickly within the company. I’ll be aiming for sales manager next!” 23-year-old Ellie has also been progressing rapidly with Harron. She joined as a trainee sales executive in February 2019 and became responsible for her own development as a full time sales executive by May 2019. Upon returning to work part time after maternity leave, Ellie was looking for a new challenge and jumped at the chance to apply for a senior sales executive role. “I spoke to my line manager who encouraged me to apply, and since getting the job I’ve been so supported by the whole management team. They’ve made sure there’s enough colleagues on my site to allow me time to focus on my new duties, and they are always just on the other end of the phone if we need anything,” Ellie said. Both Ellie and Rebecca had prior sales experience; Ellie for companies including Cath Kidson and TUI, and Rebecca for Beal Homes. Harron originally appealed to them for its unique offering in the market. “I visited a showhome and became obsessed. I loved that it’s a premium product from a traditional builder” Rebecca said. “Now I love the team, being part of a close-knit group where everyone looks out for each other is fantastic.” Ellie agreed, “I immediately bought into the ethos of Harron as a traditional builder delivering a quality product. Our homes are so different from a lot of the market; they include lots of extra details and luxuries that I would love to have in my own home! “We put a lot of time and effort into ensuring the room sizes in all our house types are large enough for people to grow into and allow them to create the lifestyle they are looking for. It’s great to be involved with such an aspirational product and to help people find and move into their dream home.”
Leading property developer and investor, Scarborough Group International (SGI) has announced the promotion of Adam Varley to the role of Development Director to help accelerate the Group’s ambitious growth strategy. Adam joined SGI in February 2020 as Commercial Director and has achieved a number of significant milestones in little over 18 months, including concluding the lease negotiations for Yorkshire’s largest ever out of town pre-let to Lowell at Thorpe Park Leeds, letting the remaining space at Lumina, a speculative grade A office building also located at Thorpe Park Leeds, as well as launching the fourth and final building at the iconic Digital Campus scheme in Sheffield. He has also been heavily involved in the master-planning of the next phase of development at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park. In his new role, Adam will be responsible for the appraisal, delivery and asset management of the Group’s commercial development projects across the Northern Powerhouse, working alongside Group Director’s Mark Jackson and Paul Kelly. SGI’s flagship schemes include the next phase of Thorpe Park Leeds – a mixed-use community of 3.25m sq ft comprising high-quality business space, industrial and logistics space, retail, leisure and new homes – and Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park; a sports, health and wellbeing-focused Life Sciences Park where it is embarking on a first phase of 850,000 sq ft in partnership with Sheffield City Council. Commenting on his promotion, Adam said: “I feel honoured to be taking on the role of Development Director after only a relatively short time with Scarborough Group International and am looking forward to working closely with Mark, Paul and colleagues to take the Group’s development portfolio forward.” Simon McCabe, Chief Executive of SGI, added: “Adam is an incredibly talented and motivated individual, and has made a huge impact within the Group since joining. His extensive experience in the commercial property industry, combined with his depth of understanding of occupiers’ needs will be invaluable as we look to accelerate the delivery of our ambitious development pipeline across the north of England.”
