A Scottish property firm has hailed a key hire as it prepares for expansion into new territories.
Kelvin Properties said it is set for the next phase of its growth push with the appointment of the high-profile expert.
The managing director of the firm behind major Glasgow build-to-rent projects Candleriggs Court and Mitchell Apartments said the move showed a “signal of intent”.
Kelvin Properties said Andrew Duncan has been appointed as its land director, leaving the same role at CALA Homes where he built his reputation within the industry by delivering urban projects including the 101-flat Mansionhouse Road development in Shawlands, and the 203 unit Pacific Quay site by the River Clyde.
Kelvin Properties, one of Glasgow’s largest private investment companies, said the move is central to founder Stephen McKechnie’s plans to push the business beyond Glasgow and the surrounding areas.
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It comes at a time when the market is buoyant despite restrictions, said Mr McKechnie.
“We have all been affected by this but construction has been allowed to progress so we have been very fortunate we have not had all our sites shut down, so we are thankful for that and hopefully as we come out of the back of this it will be all systems go," said Mr McKechnie, managing director at Kelvin Properties. “The market since we came out of the first lockdown has been really good throughout most areas, with people changing their lifestyle, habits and houses.
He added: “All the estate agents and surveyors have said there have been record prices being paid and that is through a mini lockdown.
“We are predominantly a Glasgow-based company that has been operating in Glasgow so that was one of the reasons we wanted to expand, we needed a land director to cast the net wider.
“So we brought over Andrew from CALA and we’re delighted.
“He’s been at CALA for nine years and I think he’ll bring a wider range of contacts and knowledge that we don’t have at the moment.”
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He said he will play a key role “in the next exciting chapter for the business”.
He said: “To attract a director with his talent, ability and proven track shows how far Kelvin Properties has come over the past 20 years.
“In the modern marketplace, it is vital to be in a position to act on potential development sites quickly, and the addition of Andrew strengthens our ability to do just that in a number of areas.
“As an agile and forward-thinking developer, we are able to provide clear points of contact and more direct lines of communication, meaning necessary changes can be made faster which provides more scope for the communities we work within to have genuine influence.”
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Mr Duncan, who is now responsible for all the firm’s land and planning activity, said: “It is a privilege to join such an exciting and ambitious business, and I look forward to making a real impact on future projects across Scotland.
“Kelvin Properties is an ambitious and entrepreneurial business that is well financed with lots of experience and a great track record. I am delighted to add my own experience to that mix and can’t wait to get started in this next chapter for myself and the business.
"I share Stephen’s ambitious vision for growing the business to become a major player within Scotland’s urban areas.”
Founded in 1999, West End-based Kelvin Properties said its record speaks for itself when "delivering major projects of real quality" across the city and its outlying areas.
These include the multi-million-pound transformation of the former Broomhill Public School into an award-winning 68-apartment development at The Atrium.
Kelvin Properties is responsible for other major build-to-rent developments including the 36-apartment development at Candleriggs Court in the Merchant City, and the 20-unit building at Mitchell Apartments, Finnieston.
The seven storey, 20-flat apartments replaced a disused church-turned-restaurant in Kent Road, across the road from the Mitchell Library.
The firm hailed demand for the build-to-rent Candleriggs Court, let in six weeks, and Mr McKechnie said at the time that this led him to become “even more convinced that the BTR concept, which is hugely popular across England and Europe, could be the way forward for Glasgow’s property market”.
Among other ventures, the company is also behind plans for 34 homes on Pollokshaws Road in Glasgow.
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