Two businesses belonging to Hull-based Sewell Group are to be merged to create a 60-strong consultancy with offices across the north of England.
Hessle-based Shared Agenda and Leeds firm Community Ventures will merge from January to create Sewell Advisory, providing estates consultancy from offices in East Yorkshire, Leeds, Stockton, Nottingham and Manchester. As part of the £56m turnover Sewell Group, both employee-owned businesses have already been working together on some projects and the decision to merge is intended to spur growth.
Sewell Advisory will specialise in strategy, development and management of public sector estates, with focus on the health, social care and education sectors. Shared Agenda and Community Ventures have recently worked on infrastructure strategy for NHS Greater Manchester, delivery of a new GP practice near Darlington and delivery of a capital programme to upgrade mental health in-patient facilities for Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust.
The merger, which takes effect from January, means Community Ventures chief executive Emma Bolton will become CEO of Sewell Advisory with Shared Agenda chief executive Tim Wigglesworth becoming director of partnerships across the wider Sewell Group and continuing as chief executive of Hull Citycare. Sewell Advisory will manage an estate portfolio of around 150 properties, with a combined value of over £250m.
Ms Bolton said: “Our team of over 60 experienced consultants and estates professionals will put us on a par with some of the biggest consultancies in the country, and means we can take on larger projects, more long-term partnerships, and use our wider team to offer even more value, technical expertise and fresh perspectives for our existing customers.
“It’s a really exciting time for our staff and clients, and we can’t wait to unlock new estate improvement opportunities for our health and education sector clients. This merger shows we’re a key player in the estates consultancy industry and we’re looking forward to seeing what the future holds.”
Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber