The Bristol office of a leading firm which started out with just four members of staff in a Clifton attic office is celebrating a decade of successful trading in the city.
CBRE Bristol was launched ten years ago from a cramped office in Berkeley Square and has since grown into one of the most influential players in the sector in the South West.
The operation has survived and prospered in the face of one of the worst recessions in living memory and now employs almost 40 staff. The company outgrew its offices in Berkeley Square and moved to its regional headquarters in Howard House close to Clifton Triangle five years ago.
CBRE held a special VIP event to mark the anniversary last night with around 200 guests from the commercial property sector in Bristol and from across the UK gathering to celebrate the landmark at the West of England Academy in Clifton. Mike Strong, Executive Chairman of CBRE for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, was among those in attendance along with some of the firm’s key clients and customers.
CBRE started out specialising in agency and professional work but quickly branched out into new fields of expertise such as property management, building surveying and investment services. The firm has also built up a reputation in the South West for specialising in the top end of the office market in central Bristol, with key involvement in some of the biggest Grade A developments in the city, particularly in the emerging business district around Temple Quay.
The Bristol office also has a strong footprint in the retail sector and has been heavily involved in three of the region’s leading shopping destinations – Cribbs Causeway, Cabot Circus and Southgate Centre in Bath.
Garry Hicks, Managing Director of CBRE Bristol, has been with the organisation from the very beginning. He said: “We are very proud of everything we have achieved in Bristol over the last decade and we have exciting plans in place for the next ten years.
“The key to what we do is longevity and continuity, the people we have taken on board as we have expanded have stayed with us throughout the journey. We have a certain way of doing things at CBRE and all our team our committed to that approach.
“Like everyone else we were affected by the recession but we managed to maintain our position in the marketplace. With the economy picking up we will be looking to grow and expand the business over the next couple of years and are hopeful of even more successful times ahead.”
