Property people: Sheffield Property Association; Hargreaves Land; Caddick Construction; and more
The Sheffield Property Association, which is the city’s collective voice for property, has appointed a new director, Rebecca Knight, who has joined the board of the organisation.
Knight, who is managing director at OVO Spaces has 32 years of experience in the property industry.
She joins The Sheffield Property Association’s (S-PA) team of four directors who share a vision of improving Sheffield’s built environment, driving investment, and fostering strong relationships with stakeholders and partners.
She said: “I am looking forward to bringing something a little bit different to the S-PA. This is a new challenge for me, and I’m excited to add value where I can utilise my industry experience.
“Working in Sheffield is so different to other cities. People are the heart of everything we do, and the shared collaborative spirit is what makes us unique. I believe the city is in the early beginnings of something bigger, and I want to be part of this resurgence.
“My goal is to help make Sheffield an even better place and to bring a different energy to the role. I am particularly excited to get involved with all of the priority groups and help them work more cohesively within the S-PA.”
Rob Darrington, director of the S-PA, said: “Since we established the Sheffield Property Association in 2017, it has been extremely rewarding to watch the growth of our board and member network.
“We are pleased to welcome Rebecca to our team. Her experience will be invaluable as we continue to ensure sustainable development in Sheffield, further driving our plans, member leadership, and city representation.”
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Regeneration and property development specialist, Hargreaves Land, has expanded its team in Leeds with the appointment of a new development surveyor.
Brady Harrison, who qualified as a chartered surveyor in 2018, has joined the firm to support its development activity across Yorkshire, the North West and Midlands.
Harrison has joined from Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council where he handled strategic acquisitions, disposals and was heavily involved in the council’s ongoing land review programme.
In a previous role, he was a senior surveyor at Savills, working on residential land acquisitions and disposals, as well as providing development consultancy services to a range of clients.
At Hargreaves Land, he will work alongside Andrew Johnson and Zoe Shearman on several ongoing projects as well as pursuing new land and development opportunities across the Central Region.
He said: “I am very pleased to be joining Hargreaves Land at such an exciting time for the firm. The opportunity to help deliver major development projects such as Unity in Doncaster really appealed to me, and I am looking forward to bringing my experience to this role.”
Andrew Johnson, head of asset management, said: “I am pleased that Brady has joined us and I am sure he will prove to be an excellent addition to our team.
“He brings with him a broad range of professional experience and he is rapidly establishing an excellent reputation in the Yorkshire property market.”
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Caddick Construction has appointed Steve Ford as regional managing director for Yorkshire and the North East.
It follows the West Yorkshire-based business’s most successful year-to-date with Caddick Construction Group reporting a turnover of £318m.
In his new role, Ford will be responsible for heading the regional team in the North East and Yorkshire, building on Caddick’s 40-year legacy across Yorkshire and the North West, and its recent expansion into Midlands.
He joins from Marrico Asset Management where he held the position of development director for over eight years.
His expertise spans the retail, commercial, education, industrial and manufacturing sectors, as well as residential and heritage buildings.
Notable previous projects include: Leeds Hyatt Hotel, Central Square Office development, Leeds Trinity Shopping Centre, Heathrow Terminal 2a, HSBC Northern Data Centre, Barnsley BSF Programme, and the refurbishment of Meadowhall Shopping Centre.
Caddick Construction Group has this month confirmed a record financial year ending August 2023, with a turnover of £318m, 38% up on the previous year. Profit sits at £7.4m with the company’s forward order book up 12% to £740m.
Ford said: “Joining such an established company with an excellent reputation and legacy is something I’m very proud of.
“Caddick is well-known for delivering high-quality projects, and as the business grows so does its expertise.
“With a varied portfolio of project work in my career to-date, I look forward to steering the business’s continued growth while retaining everything that makes Caddick such a success.”
Paul Dodsworth, group managing director, added: “Steve has an excellent track record for managing and delivering exceptional developments and I’m very pleased to be welcoming him to the business.
“We are excited about the future in our Yorkshire and Northeast business.
“Caddick Construction has had a fantastic year across the board, and we as a collective are determined to continue to grow in a sustainable, controlled and profitable way building on our team’s passion to deliver safely for clients and customers across the regions.”
Four commercial property professionals have been promoted at Leeds property consultancy, GV&Co.
Daniel Walker, Tom Preene and Matt Harriman have all become directors at the firm, and David Geary has been made an associate.
The promotions follow the firm’s recent expansion into bigger city centre offices at Carlton Tower on St Paul’s Street and the company’s 20th anniversary celebrations.
Walker works within the agency and investment team. He joined the business in 2012, completed a degree alongside his day job in 2017, and became a chartered member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in 2019.
He said: “Every day is different, dealing with lettings, acquisitions, investment sales and advising on long-term strategic development sites.
“Recent highlights include the work we have done on employment allocation for Integral, a 60-acre scheme at Thorpe Park, the £25m acquisition of Total Park, Leeds and advising on the lettings of 285,000 sq ft at Catalyst, Sheffield Business Park.
“We are optimistic about the market and can clearly see an increase in positive sentiment.
“Occupiers can understandably take their time making decisions, but there is a definite sense of market confidence returning, after the recent downturn in activity, which followed a very busy few years.”
Preene works in lease advisory and asset management. He joined GV&Co in 2022 having spent six years at a global property firm and is responsible for negotiating rent reviews and lease renewals on behalf of both landlords and tenants.
He said: “The industrial market continues to perform well with headline rents reaching record levels and I’m looking forward to growing this side of the business further, as more landlords and tenants recognise the value that we add.”
Harriman works in building surveying and project management. He joined GV&Co as a graduate 10 years ago when the department was first established, and since then it has grown to a seven-strong team.
He said: “I really enjoy working on a diverse spectrum of commercial property across multiple sectors, and have keen interest in contract administration, dilapidations and acquisition surveys.
“In the last 12 months, I’ve managed over £3m worth of commercial refurbishments and successfully negotiated over £1m of dilapidations.
“As a director, I’ll be more involved with helping to manage the team and mentoring colleagues, as well as continuing to drive the department forward.”
Geary joined GV&Co’s building surveying and project management team eight years ago and has completed a Masters (MSc) in Building Surveying during that time.
He project manages construction projects across all sectors, as well as carrying out condition surveys and negotiating dilapidations claims.
He said: “I really enjoy my role at GV&Co. I’m heavily involved in refurbishment schemes, predominantly around Yorkshire and the Midlands, but I have recently completed a large-scale refurbishment of a Grade A listed building in the centre of Edinburgh.
“The building is now fully let to multiple occupiers and holding its own in a prime part of the city.
“On a local level, the market is busy in the world of building surveying and the pipeline until the end of 2024 is strong.”
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