People: Harworth Group; Inprotec; and more

Listed property regeneration and investment business, Harworth Group, has made five appointments to support the ongoing growth of its business in the North of England and the Midlands.

It has appointed Richard Bousfield as director – head of income, a newly created role with responsibility for growing and managing the company’s £232.3m income-producing portfolio across the UK, including new acquisitions, new pre-let direct developments and selling down its lower yielding assets.

He previously ran his own investment and strategic asset company and previously held board director positions at Aston Property Ventures and Praxis Real Estate. He has also been appointed as a full member of the Investment Committee.

Bousfield’s team has been further strengthened by the appointment of Andrea Morley who has become associate director of business space. She has been given responsibility for managing Harworth’s £170m business space portfolio, managing over 130 tenants across its Business Park sites.

Morley was previously property development manager at Clugston Estates and spent a number of years with Lidl (UK) as their acquisitions manager for the North of England and the Midlands.

Harworth’s Midlands Region has completed its management team by recruiting Matt Timmins as its new project manager. He joins Harworth following three years at St Modwen plc as a technical manager.

Timmins has responsibility for the delivery of key infrastructure works on Harworth’s major developments in the Midlands, including at the former Ironbridge Power Station in Shropshire.

Lisa Brooke has joined Harworth’s Finance function as a finance business partner, with the specific responsibility of supporting its three regional development teams.

She was previously a financial planning analyst at Close Brothers Motor Finance and also worked within PwC’s audit function in Yorkshire between 2015 and 2018.

Jane Thomson has joined Harworth’s Communications & Public Affairs team in the newly created role of partnerships manager with responsibility for co-ordinating the company’s public funding applications across the UK.

She was previously enterprise manager at the Canal & River Trust for over a decade, heading its external investment activities and partnerships in Yorkshire and the North East.

The appointments follow the company’s increase to its revolving credit facility limit by £30m to £130m, providing both operational flexibility and the ability to take advantage of future suitable land and property opportunities.

Owen Michaelson, chief executive at Harworth Group, said: “These appointments are a further sign of our operational strength and our desire to take advantage of immediate market opportunities within the North of England and the Midlands.

“Growing the team also re-emphasises our commitment to the UK’s economic recovery through transforming land and property into sustainable places where people want to live and work.

“We recognise the challenge for new colleagues joining the team during lockdown and I thank and support the diligence of existing team members who have facilitated the smooth and remote induction of our new colleagues during these challenging times.”

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The managing director of a Yorkshire-based engineering company has been appointed to the board of a national group which serves as a global centre of expertise on sustainability and the environment.

Inprotec MD Chris Oldroyd, whose company specialises in the design and supply of plant used to recover lead and precious metals, will sit on the board of the prestigious Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining Sustainable Development Group (SDG).

The role will see him act as the representative for the Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy division.

The SDG, which is internationally recognised, serves as a focus group where leading experts from a broad range of disciplines can exchange ideas and information on sustainability matters.

It engages and networks with a range of organisations and provides expert counsel, influencing activities such as the UK Government’s and the European Commission’s Resource Efficiency Action Plan.

With expertise in a range of applications, from automotive through to construction and materials design, the group promotes whole life cycle thinking and feeds into wider global initiatives, such as the circular economy, sustainable cities and climate change mitigation and adaption.

Oldroyd said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to help shape the future of an enormously important and influential group, which is hugely respected and admired all over the world.

“There has never been more focus on the need for a sustainable, truly circular economy, and the SDG has a huge role to play in ensuring governments and senior decision makers within industry remain informed and blessed with the most up-to-date, forward-thinking intelligence possible when it comes to sustainability matters.

“It’s a challenge that I’m hugely excited about and I’m looking forward to working alongside the talented board and members to build on current momentum, as we strive to achieve a truly circular economy.”

In January, he was made a fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining in recognition of his significant contribution in a senior management role to the metals and process equipment industry.

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Ripon-based Potter Space, which owns, develops, and operates five commercial business parks across the UK, has strengthened its estates team with the recruitment of Ricky Ho Chan and Glennys Conlon.

The move comes as the company continues its £25m investment programme, as lockdown eases for the construction industry.

Conlon is taking on the role of estates manager and will be supporting property director, Rob Barker, in maintaining a close working relationship with customers and handling any issues which may arise.

With more than 20 years’ experience in facilities management, she joins Potter Space from Jones Lang LaSalle, where she was associate director at Bridgewater Place, in Leeds.

Chan is joining as estates surveyor and will be working closely with Alex Carter in the procurement and management of building works for new units, as well as progressing refurbishment projects, repairs, and maintenance across more than 1.6m square feet of commercial space.

Having achieved a first-class honours degree in building surveying from Leeds Beckett University, Chan joins from quantity surveyors Currie & Brown UK, where he was involved with multiple projects for Durham University.

Managing director of Potter Space, Matthew Lamb, said: “Eighteen months ago, we embarked on an ambitious multi-million pound investment across the whole estate.

“Naturally, the last few months put matters on hold but, with lockdown easing, we are now cranking up activities and strengthening the team to deliver our plans.

“Both Glennys and Ricky have the experience and skills to help us to continue to develop and maintain the business parks, while maintaining our core values.

“For new units, this will be achieved through high sustainable property specifications, with services delivered as promised.

“They will also be working closely with customers to provide them with the level of input and support which made them choose Potter Space as their ‘home for business’.

“We are strong believers in providing first class facilities to enable companies to be successful because, when they prosper, so do we.”