Kilmartin to open regional base by spring

Developer-investor Kilmartin will begin a major expansion into the North West when it opens an office on Manchester's King Street in the coming months.

Mark Hancock, chief executive officer, said the regional team would be working not only on the firm's trademark quick turnaround trading opportunities but also major, longer-term regeneration projects.

However, a development director has yet to be found to run the office and recruitment consultancy Cobalt has been instructed to find the right candidate.

Hancock said: "Kilmartin has operated under the radar in the North and we will be using the Manchester team to start raising our profile considerably. We want to do major schemes and become a major player in the region."

The firm recently acquired Miller Arcade, a shopping centre, in Preston from Maple Grove for £9m. Overall, the group has 140 projects, with a combined end value of £1.2bn and employs 70 staff.

Hancock said the firm was in a strong position with £300m to spend on investments.

As well as the regional development director, the King Street office (leasing is currently in legals) will be home to Mark Ridehalgh, group investment director, as well as a new project manager for the Bloc joint venture with British Waterways, and Andrew Scott, director of the Kilmerlin JV with Merlin Developments.

Hancock, a former boss of Teesland who launched the City Square office development in Liverpool, sold his investment business Amerdale to Kilmartin, becoming CEO in the process, last year.

Kilmartin is owned jointly by Bank of Scotland and chairman Ian Wotherspoon. The company has offices in London, Sheffield, Manchester, Edinburgh, Inverness and Berlin as well as the former Amerdale office in Skipton.

Existing assets in the North West include Trinity Park in Bootle, retail in Chester, industrial space in Winsford and Skelmersdale and offices in Salford, Denton and Liverpool.