Peel completes Northstone senior team
Peel Land & Property has branded its new housebuilding arm as Northstone, announcing at the same time that it has added a further three directors to create a five-strong management team.
The business announced in October last year that it had launched a housebuilding arm, headed by ex-Harworth Group man Phil Wilson as chief executive. Development director Jonathan England also came on board last year.
The three new hires are construction director Kevin Morris, commercial director Craig Nutter and design director Richard O’Brien.
Morris brings 35 years’ experience in the construction industry where most recently he was construction director for Mulbury Homes for five years. He will be focusing on the successful delivery of the Northstone product and overseeing procurement with the commercial team.
Formerly commercial director for Bellway Homes’ Manchester division, Craig Nutter has been appointed to the same role with Northstone. During his time at Bellway, Nothstone said, he was instrumental in setting up that regional operation, which delivered more than 1,700 units in its first five years.
He will oversee the commercial function of the business, being responsible for procurement, setting up the supply chain, working with subcontractors and identifying potential sites, as well as cost control.
Over 40 years, O’Brien has overseen design for some of the most high profile housebuilding brands in the UK, including David Wilson and Bloor Homes, He was most recently group design controller for Avant Homes in the North of England.
Chief executive Phil Wilson said: “We’re very excited to be welcoming our new and dynamic management team on board, who all have a strong track record in delivery. The launch of Northstone gives us the rare opportunity to work from a blank canvas to bring a fresh and unique product to the market which will be designed around the needs and behaviours of today’s modern occupier.
“Since the appointment of the team we’re really gaining momentum and very close to securing our first sites in Bolton, Haslingden and Barrowford.”
The team will be based in Northstone’s head office in Arrive, in MediaCityUK.
A very diverse management team isn’t it. Well done Peel…
By Boring
Boring – do you want diversity for the sake of diversity, please explain…
By Ben Wilson
Boring – Talent > diversity.
By Millenial
A more diverse team will be better placed to understand risk, the communities it serves and will be less inclined to suffer from blind spots.
By Margaret
I’m with Boring on this one. Would have hoped that Peel – with all its resources and influence – would have been more creative in its hires than to bring in a team of experienced box-builders. We have enough volume house builders who throw up the same house designs time and time again, typically cramming as many units as possible onto a site with little to no consideration for context or the vernacular. Hopefully we will be proved wrong and Northstone will set a new benchmark in design that Bellway, Bloor, Barratt and all the other box builder will be forced to follow….Doubt it though.
By Realist
Missing the point Ben, diversity is about allowing everyone to live up to there potential, which brings with it a raft of benefits, including for a company. Like everyone, white men tend to give preferential treatment to people similar to themselves. Are you really saying that straight white men are the only people who our industry should work for?
By Really?
that is a sweeping statement Really. You do not now they are all straight. But yes get the jist. All well built white males. Typical in construction and that’s coming from me!
By Russell Bolton
Ben:- Possibly, just possibly, they were the best qualified Candidates for the positions (unbelievable as that may seem !)
By Tha'knows
No Ben, not just for the sake of it, there is plenty of evidence that a more diverse management team has significant benefits. As a new company it hardly sets an exciting, forward thinking or innovative tone. @tha’knows I find it hard to believe that the only suitable candidates were white males.
By Boring