An expanding Hampshire company is celebrating its silver anniversary at the top – with 200 guests 560 feet up in the air.
McAndrew Martin, a firm of chartered surveyors, engineers, architects and designers, is holding a gala dinner at the iconic Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth on Friday, September 5.
The 25th anniversary extravaganza at the top of the landmark will also include fundraising for Help for Heroes.
More than 200 staff, family, former colleagues, clients and members of the region’s business community have been invited to the event to mark the quarter century of success.
McAndrew Martin managing director Bill McAndrew, who founded the Portsmouth-based firm in 1989, said: “We are looking forward to celebrating our 25th anniversary in style at the Spinnaker Tower and to thanking everyone who has supported our business over the years.
“After 25 years at the top, it is fitting to celebrate our achievement at the heights of such an iconic Portsmouth landmark.
“It will be a great night with 200 guests, including faces old and new, as well as the chance to raise funds for a very worthy cause.”
Bill added: “After 25 years, our experienced team have helped thousands of satisfied customers and we look forward to providing an even greater service moving into the next 25 years.”
McAndrew Martin, which covers Hampshire and the south, was founded in 1989. In its first year, the company had one part-time and two full-time members of staff.
The company now has 20 staff as it goes from strength to strength at its offices at the Fairway Business Centre in Dundas Lane, Portsmouth. It recently launched a land and new homes division and has also gained Safecontractor accreditation.
The firm has also seen a 45% increase in survey work as the property market improves.
Highlights have included Princess Anne opening an Indoor Riding School at the Peter Ashley Activity Centre at Fort Widley, Portsmouth, in 1995 which was designed by McAndrew Martin. Bill showed the Princess display boards about how the project unfolded during the tour.
When McAndrew Martin began businesses in 1989, a loaf of bread was 48p and a pint of beer was 99p.
Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, the interest rate was an eye-watering 15% and the average house price was a mere £36,284.
In that year Liverpool lifted the FA Cup and the best selling single was Black Box’s Ride on Time.
Landmark events included the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Tiananmen Square demonstrations in China.
Soaring 560 feet (170 metres) above Portsmouth, the iconic Spinnaker Tower is taller than the London Eye, Blackpool Tower and Big Ben.
It opened in 2005 and offers panoramic views of Portsmouth and the Solent reaching up to 23 miles.
