A retail property professional who has worked on some of the Midlands most high-profile schemes, is due to retire at the end of 2015.
Paul Brewer, who has been Bilfinger GVA’s Midlands Head of Retail for over 25 years, will retire in December after more than 40 years in the industry.
A Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS), Paul forged his career in Birmingham and time in London before returning to the Midlands as Branch Manager of Shipway, Doble and Earle, dealing with residential sales and auctioning chattels and antiques.
Paul joined the Birmingham Retail department of Bilfinger GVA (then known as Grimley & Sons) in 1979, and has worked on a number of significant retail developments throughout the region, such as the Royal Priors Shopping Centre in Leamington Spa; The Pallasades (formerly the New Street Shopping Centre) and The Arcadian Centre, both in Central Birmingham; the regeneration of Castle Vale Shopping Centre; The Fort Dunlop, and the development of the Merry Hill Shopping Centre, near Dudley.
Paul has acted as a Development Adviser for Local Authorities across the Midlands, including Birmingham City Council, Wolverhampton Council, Coventry District Council, Wyre Forest District Council, Cannock District Council, Uttoxeter Town Council, Telford Council and Stafford Borough Council.
These relationships led to his appointment on town centre schemes including Abbey Gates in Evesham; Weavers Wharf in Kidderminster; Castle Vale Retail Park; Cannock Shopping Centre; Carters Square Shopping Centre, Uttoxeter; the creation of Southwater in Telford; and more recently the Riverside Shopping Centre in Stafford and the new Princes Gate Shopping Park, a mixed use Town Centre development at Catterick for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).
Paul has also delivered significant instructions for high profile national clients, which have included the acquisition or extensions of seven major department stores for James Beattie (now House of Fraser), acquisition of 200 shops nationwide for The Imperial Cancer Research Fund (now Cancer Research UK), the disposal of some 100 Halifax Building Society branches, the acquisition of Branches for RBS/Natwest at locations across the UK; and the initial roll out of Factory Outlet units for Midlands based fashion brand Roman Originals.
Paul said: “Over the last 36 years I have been very fortunate to enjoy working with a number of great clients and colleagues on many significant retail developments and high profile High Street instructions. It’s been very rewarding to have advised clients and see their initial concepts become reality.
“When I joined Grimley and Son those many years ago there were no more than 100 people in the company but now as Bilfinger GVA there are 65,000 worldwide.
“The UK retail market is exciting and dynamic with fast changing trends, but it is also a small world in terms of the clients and agents that you get to know. Over the years there have been a number of people who started their careers working for me who have gone on to either set up niche practices across the city or joined retail or development companies – and we are still doing deals together.”
While Paul will officially retire at the end of the year, he will continue to provide consultancy services for the delivery of a number of ongoing key instructions.
Paul will be succeeded in the role of Midlands Head of Retail by current Director, Alastair Robertson-Dunn, who has extensive experience in the provision of complex retail schemes across a broad range of clients.
Jason Sibthorpe, National Head of Retail, said: “Over the course of his career, Paul has become one of the most widely recognised and well liked figures in the retail property sector, particularly in the Midlands.
“While we bid Paul farewell, it remains business as usual here at Bilfinger GVA where Alastair through his own extensive experience and expertise, and supported by Associate Gary Bucknall, will ensure the same consistently high calibre level of service is delivered across our extensive client base.
“It has been a genuine pleasure to have worked with Paul and I know that I speak on behalf of the team at large when I wish him all the best for his retirement.”