The Interview – Max Henderson

TheBusinessDesk.com speaks to Max Henderson, managing director of Cheshire housebuilder Henderson Homes.

How difficult is it to operate in the property sector at this time?

The green shoots referenced by the media are most definitely reality. The market is beginning to gather momentum. We now need the banks to start lending again, providing builders the opportunity to invest and homebuyers the chance to purchase. Confidence has increased over the past six months and there is the appetite from both stakeholders.

If you could improve anything in the region, what would it be?

To reduce the amount of red tape around the planning process, to speed things up for both developers and purchasers.

How does the North West property market compare to other regions in the UK?
The North West doesn’t enjoy the boom of London, however, we don’t suffer the same lows either. It is a vibrant area often referenced as being the second wealthiest in the country. As such the market is strong, of course there are underperforming areas however on the whole the market is strong in this region.

What has been your biggest business mistake/achievement?

My biggest mistakes will always be the sites that I could have bought, but didn’t, allowing another developer to make a real success of it. In terms of achievement, without a doubt it is steering a 60-year-old company through the country’s worst housing crisis/economic recession and coming out the other side stronger and bigger than before.

What is the best project you’ve been involved in?
The next one. At Henderson Homes we always strive to do better than we have before.

What drives you to be the best in your field?
As a third generation family business, it is my mission to build on the excellent work done before me. The reputation of the family business I have had the privilege to steer is my major driver.

Name the person who has most inspired you and the one who has had the biggest influence on your career?
Without question my grandfather on both counts. He started a small joinery workshop in St Helens and turned it into one of the UK’s largest housebuilders. I constantly strive to build on the excellent foundations he laid and to achieve success that would have made him proud.

What are the best and worst pieces of advice you’ve been given?

It would have to be one and the same. Back in 2004 we were advised that the property market was going to take a huge dip, as such we stopped buying and cleared the decks. I believe we missed a few years of boom, however, such foresight protected us in the long run and allowed us to be in the strong position we are today.

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