Property Focus – The Interview: Tony Lenehan, Styles & Wood
TONY Lenehan is used to transforming places.
In his previous roles with Bovis Lend Lease and Carillion he helped shape the physical environment of the region – the construction of MediaCity:uk was on his watch.
Having left Bovis Lend Lease – where he was in charge of its northern construction business – he has continued his track record of transformation.
For the last three years he has been chief executive of AIM-listed property services company Styles & Wood – a role he is relishing at the south Manchester-based firm, particularly as the economy – and the sector recovers.
He says: “I am pleased to say we are extremely busy on all fronts – we’re receiving a lot of inquiries which is positive, and I’d say we’re cautiously optimistic as levels of confidence in our markets have improved.
“The last three years have been the most challenging and enjoyable of my career – Styles & Wood has great people and a great heritage.”
Central to Mr Lenehan’s strategy has been to make Styles & Wood more than just a retail fit-out and refurbishment contractor – and he has added a number of new strings to the group’s bow.
A rebranding exercise has created five divisions – aimed at equipping the business to make the most of opportunities in a changing landscape.
The group now consists of Projects, Works, Technologies, Energy and Design business units, with skills ranging from software development to design and resource management.
They all share a common theme – all are serving the property sector. Mr Lenehan explains: “Three years ago we were over-geared towards retail and we had to make some changes.
“Retail customers are still important to us – and we work with a wide range of operators from Lidl to major luxury department stores. What we have done through the rebrand is to offer our clients an integrated service and also allowed us to grasp opportunities in new markets.
“We’ve made progress for instance in the renewable energy installations sector with the appointment by Freetricty – the free solar installation project funded by Macquarie,” he says.
While he is alive to opportunities in the booming London economy – Styles & Wood has a team of more than 50 in the capital – major projects closer to home are also on the agenda.
Mr Lenehan, who divides his working week between the offices in London, Nottingham and Lancashire as well as Manchester said: “The North West probably only lags London in terms of opportunities – politicians at a local level have driven quite an ambitious programme of investment over recent years.
“There’s a lot of good still going on in this region – Airport City for example, and we are very, very keen to be a part of it.”
