People: Construction firm welcomes raft of new appointments; Homes developer appoints MD for the North; and more

Priestley Construction, the Leeds-based specialist construction company, part of the wider Priestley Group, has announced a raft of new appointments.

Gail Culshaw joins the team as a project manager from R N Wooler and Company Limited and brings over 15 years of industry experience. Culshaw will be working on Priestley Construction’s flagship schemes in 2019, including Conditioning House and James Street Apartments in Bradford.

Mark Tilley has been appointed as a senior quantity surveyor and brings a wealth of experience. Tilley will oversee the entire surveying department and play a major part in delivering Priestley Construction’s 2019 plans. He is joined by assistant quantity surveyor, Jason Yare.

Graeme Crichton has also come on board as a site manager, while Martin Rogers and Ashley Eaton have commenced roles as site supervisors. Rogers and Eaton will go through an integrated training programme to become full site managers within 12 months.

In addition, the company has hired several site operatives, all based in Yorkshire, including joiners, brick layers and labourers.

The wider Priestley Group has also created a new office manager position at its headquarters in Leeds. Former front of house, Laura Crossley, will step into the role and work with all businesses across the group, including Priestley Construction.

Nathan Priestley, chief executive officer of the Priestley Group, said: “We’re extremely proud to be based in Yorkshire, so investing in local talent and offering promising career prospects is key to our success.

“Our growth over the last 12 months has surpassed expectations and we’re anticipating even stronger growth in 2019, particularly with our recent expansion into London. The construction skills shortage across the UK is worsening and we aim to address this issue head on.

“We want to do our part by creating opportunities for new talent, training from the ground up with onsite experience, ensuring that our employees are true assets within the industry.”

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Lovell, the partnership homes developer, has appointed David Ward as its managing director for the North.

Ward takes up the newly-created director position with Lovell, part of Morgan Sindall Group, after a nearly 31-year career with Keepmoat Group where he held a series of senior roles and was most recently strategic projects director.

From 2012 to 2017, Ward was managing director for Keepmoat’s Northern Regeneration business covering regional offices in Liverpool, Salford, Newcastle and Glasgow.

In his new role, Ward will drive forward planned growth across Lovell’s Eastern, North West and Scotland regions in line with the company’s national business plan.

He will be working out of Lovell’s three offices in Leeds, Altrincham and Bellshill in North Lanarkshire.

Steve Coleby, Lovell managing director, said: “David has wide-ranging residential experience, industry expertise and knowledge of the market. He is therefore the ideal candidate to lead our ambitious plans for strategic growth across the North, where we are delivering an exciting mix of land-led residential developments, major joint venture projects and large-scale housing regeneration programmes.”

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The business-to-business division of coffee and tea specialists Ringtons has announced the appointment of Robyn Walsh as its new Business Development Manager.

Ringtons Beverages for Business is the wholesale division of the Newcastle-based business.

The out-of-home division has been supplying businesses across the hospitality, leisure, public sector, industry and retail for over 30 years with coffee, tea, equipment and barista training.

Based in Leeds, Walsh joins the family business from an independent coffee company and holds an Intermediate Barista qualification from the Speciality Coffee Association (SCA).

In her new role, Walsh will support existing Ringtons clients and attract new customers to the company’s full-service hot drinks offering.

Walsh said: “Ringtons is an ambitious business with exciting plans in the pipeline, so it’s the perfect time to join the business.  The team have been hugely welcoming and there’s plenty of opportunity and flexibility for me to grow my skills and build up my own client-base in a geographical area and industry I know well.

“Having joined Ringtons from a small business, it’s been phenomenal to see how advanced the Ringtons factory is and just how much precision and care goes into producing our coffee and tea.  For a Business Development Manager like me, it’s a dream to represent a business which has first-rate products, a great reputation and outstanding customers service.”

John Broad, Ringtons National Sales Manager, added: “Our business-to-business division has grown substantially in the last few years, so we need a team who are passionate, committed and knowledgeable to represent Ringtons in the best light.

“Robyn not only has the background, Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) qualifications and experience to be able to offer our clients the great service and products we are renowned for, but she also understands the demands of the hospitality industry and has the enthusiasm to help our existing customers thrive and welcome new businesses to the fold.”