Property firm CKD Galbraith bulks up commercial arm

Will Sandwell joins CKD Galbraith's Edinburgh office as associate. Picture: Contributed

CKD Galbraith, which has nearly 240 staff, said it is to offer a UK-wide specialist investment agency brokerage service headed by Jamie Thain and Will Sandwell, who join the firm as partner and associate respectively.

The pair worked together for more than ten years at GVA and James Barr, and will be based at the firm’s Edinburgh office, aiming to grow the investment offering to clients across the UK.

Thain said it marks an excellent chance to boost investment capability in the team “within an entrepreneurial and expanding business”.

Sandwell stated: “We have a strong track record as multi-sector advisers and will continue to exploit avenues for clients within a market that offers exceptional opportunities for commercial property investors.”

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Pam Over, recently named chief executive, said the hires mark a “very exciting development” for the business. She added: “We have been seeking the right team to lead a brokerage service and we’re delighted to have secured two very experienced and highly regarded people.”

Richard Higgins leads the company’s commercial division, which manages more than £450 million of property across the UK with a £6.5m rent roll, also providing asset management, investment, valuation, facilities management, sales, lettings and acquisition services.

• A Cambuslang construction industry sub-contractor that is one of the oldest and largest in Scotland is today celebrating its 100th anniversary.

The Veitchi Group has 320 staff across five divisions, including Scotland’s largest preservation company Richardson and Starling.

It remains privately owned with 70 shareholders and last year moved its headquarters to a 20,000sq ft facility on the banks of the River Clyde. Its roots predate its 1917 incorporation to 1912 when its flooring arm equipped the Titanic.

“Fortunately, our journey as a business has been much less infamous,” said managing director Jim Preston, who described the centenary as a “fantastic achievement”.

The firm is next month to present its annual results to 30 November, with Preston saying it expects “another year of solid financial returns”. In the prior year it saw a 26 per cent jump in pre-tax profits and turnover hit £37 million.

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