Knight Frank has appointed Drew Watkins as a partner within its project and building consultancy team in Birmingham.
Mr Watkins, who has more than ten years’ experience in building consultancy, joins the firm from DTZ where he worked for seven years as an associate director.
While at DTZ, Mr Watkins was part of a national team advising security company Tyco on its estates portfolio, providing advice on dilapidations liabilities and exit strategies. His project experience includes contract administration of office, industrial, retail and commercial residential refurbishment schemes.
Mr Watkins is also a registered valuer with experience in undertaking depreciated replacement cost valuations of specialist assets including NHS hospital estates and airports.
Knight Frank has also strengthened its Birmingham-based national automotive team and Midlands office agency team with the appointment of Tom Rigg as associate and Richard Williams as surveyor respectively, while Ben Wisher, associate in Knight Frank’s office agency team, has made the internal move to investment.
Mr Rigg joins Knight Frank from Bilfinger GVA where he worked for five years. Prior to that he spent two years working in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Dubai with DTZ International.
He specialises in advising major automotive retail groups and manufacturers on site searches, occupational disposal and acquisition work, as well valuation of specialist automotive property, petrol filling stations and roadside property.
Having graduated from Birmingham City University in 2010 with a degree in Real Estate, Mr Williams spent four years working for a regional general practice based in Shropshire and the Black Country, where he gained wealth of experience in representing both landlords and occupiers in the office and industrial sectors.
Mr Wisher joined Knight Frank’s office agency team three years ago, during which time he helped grow the department and establish an excellent reputation across the Midlands, acting for major property companies and funds such as Real Estate Investors, LIM, AXA and M&G.
As an associate in the investment and capital markets team for the Midlands, Mr Wisher will work across all market sectors, advising major Institutions, property investment companies and family pension trusts.
Ashley Hudson, partner and head of Knight Frank’s Birmingham office, said: “We are seeing continued growth in building consultancy and automotive work and therefore needed to strengthen these teams in order to service the increasing workload.
“Both Drew and Tom are experienced surveyors in their respective specialist fields and will be valuable additions to the office and firm.
“Elsewhere, Ben’s move to investment will again strengthen the team as a result of the increasing volume of investment work we are winning, while Richard will provide additional support for the office agency team at a time when we are seeing growth in this area of the business.”