As belts tighten and the market begins to dry up, operating in niche areas can be the best way to insulate your business. But that only works if, like Windsor Homes, your business is robust enough to begin with
Written by David Watts and Produced by Nicholas Davies
Windsor Homes plc is a privately-owned housebuilder which operates throughout Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire. Specialising in the construction of bespoke houses that make their most of their niche locations, during the ten years since its inception, Windsor has built up an impressive reputation.
Headquartered in Binfield, Berkshire, the company has an annual turnover of £10 million and is run and owned by Peter Francis and Paul Reed, Managing Director and Non-Executive Chairman respectively. Between them, they have over 50 years of experience in the construction industry.
Francis, who began his career in the development industry as a trainee with architectural firm Broadway Malyan, also worked for Crest Homes and as a planning officer with Egham Urban District Council before spending 18 years with Berkeley Homes. During his time with Berkeley, his posts included Land Director and Regional Managing Director, and was invited to join the main board of The Berkeley Group plc in 1987, a post he held until leaving in spring 1996.
Reed also has a history with The Berkeley Group, having joined in 1980 before starting the Group’s third subsidiary, Berkeley Homes (North London) Limited. Solely responsible for the financial aspects of the Group’s flotation in 1984, he subsequently managed to establish a portfolio in excess of £120 million, approximately half of which was sold in 1994 at a profit of £30 million.
The company’s board is completed by Financial Director Les Mandeville, Technical Director Keith Hampshire and Building Director Iain Dandy, the latter being the only director to have never to worked for Berkeley Group in one form or another.
Quality
All this previous experience has been carried through in to Windsor Homes, which, like Berkeley, considers the quality of its projects to be integral to its business model. As a registered housebuilder under the National House Builder’s Council (NHBC) voluntary scheme, Windsor’s projects are inspected during building and subsequently are covered by a 10 year warranty against major defects and the insolvency of the builder.
Established in 1936 as a non-profit distributing company, the NHBC’s primary purpose is to help raise standards in the house-building industry and provide consumer protection for new homeowners. The scheme, known as ‘Buildmark,’ has been a major success since its introduction, and Windsor is keen to emphasise its premium rating with the organisation.
The green light’s on
Equally important to the company is the issue of sustainability. The issue of carbon neutral homes is well known throughout the industry, even well before Gordon Brown’s 2006 plans to make every new home carbon neutral within 10 years. That announcement was a wake-up call to many in the world of construction but, for Windsor, the green issue was already an integral part of its business.
With an aim of working towards ‘sustainability and making a positive contribution to the long-term physical, social and economic fabric of the communities in which we work’, the company has been committed to the cause since its inception, and not only to ensure that boxes are being ticked.
To maintain the best, and most consistent, approach it is vital that the communication of this philosophy runs throughout the company. To achieve this, Windsor works frequently with its suppliers and subcontractors to develop sustainable relationships and actively encourages its employees to develop their skills, including their awareness and understanding of sustainability issues.
To realise this, adaptability is an essential part of the company, tellingly, from the ground up. Windsor uses a great deal of recyclable materials in its homes, ensuring that it preserves as much of the existing flora and fauna as possible. This focus on the individual characteristics of each site is not only beneficial to the environment, but also the aesthetics of the finished project.
Going forward
The industry may be suffering at the moment, but thanks to Windsor’s emphasis on flexibility - both in its adaptability as a business and its willingness to go the extra mile in order to meet its customers’ needs - it looks equipped to deal with the downturn in the market better than many.
Employing 15 staff directly and subcontracting out the rest of its work, the company has a large amount of manoeuvrability, an essential step in a market as tight as it is now. And with its emphasis on the bespoke – the company aims wherever possible to customise each property to the purchaser’s own personal requirements – it has enough to set itself aside from the competition for today’s increasingly knowledgeable and demanding client.
Currently, Windsor typically completes around four or five projects each year, with each containing up to 15 units. These vary in price from £350,000 to £365,000, but they can also potentially reach the £1 million mark. Over the next 12 months the company will be trying to adapt to the market at the moment and carry on building smaller bespoke quality products. With the downturn throwing up some exciting opportunities in terms of land and previously unaffordable plots drop in price, a company built on such solid foundations will be well equipped to capitalise when the market begins to rise.
Bookmark with:
- Digg
- Reddit
- Del.icio.us
- Facebook
- Newsvine
Sign Up to Exec UK now for FREE!