Member Article

Half a century of service at Sheffield firm

JF Finnegan Chairman, Philip Hollister, and Accounts Office Manager, Mike Westwood are both celebrating half a century of service at the Sheffield-based contractor and developer.

This month marks 50 years of service at the Ecclesall Road based firm and Chairman Philip Hollister explains how the company has adapted to the changing market trends and shares his vision for the future of the company and the regional property market. He says;

“The property industry has completely changed since my early career but the company’s ethos for reliability and deliverability has remained unchanged and it is this, along with our retention of existing clients and quest for identifying new sectors, which I’m certain has ensured our long-term success.

“Having worked through several recessions, this recent worldwide one has undoubtedly been the most challenging as, unlike previous years when only certain sectors were hit, there has been such widespread uncertainty. We employed a new strategy of diversification in the late 1990’s, identifying that a varied portfolio of work in both our contractual and developmental projects would enable us to ride out the inevitable peaks and troughs which different sectors experience. This approach still remains key as opportunities will emerge from the recession and those who are poised and ready to capitalise on them will flourish.”

Mr Hollister has been involved with some of JF Finnegan’s most notable projects such as; Sheffield Parkway Business Park, Commercial Street offices, Wards Exchange and Butcher Works which really put the firm on the map and showcased its capabilities with new build, restoration and design-led projects. Mr Hollister has also led the delivery of some of the firm’s most iconic schemes such as the award-winning Charles St Q-Park ‘Cheesegrater’ and the innovative, highly sustainable Sheffield City College.

Hollister continues; “I have seen JF Finnegan progress from purely a contractor to becoming very development-focussed in the early 2000’s when around 40% of its construction turnover was generated from its own developments. In recent times our contractual business has accounted for around 85% of our turnover as we have undertaken a lot of public sector work and looked to capitalise on new and emerging markets such as supermarkets, education and waste facilities with live projects all over the country.

“There is a lot of talk about ‘futureproofing’ companies at the moment and how this can be achieved. I think it is down to having the right staff who are all embassadors for the company. We have very high staff retention levels and credit this to our ‘pitch-in’ attitude which ensures that we all pull together and work as a unit. I’m very proud of the fact that our staff are much sought-after within the industry as they are very multi-functional and highly trained.”

JF Finnegan’s appointment of Gary Smith as Managing Director last year further cements this approach and was cited as a a move to strategically place the company for the future whilst allowing Gary to benefit from the experience of Philip Hollister. By working together they are driving the business into new sectors whilst retaining their core clients and work.

Philip says; “I consider myself lucky for the 50 year era that I have worked through as there have been so many advances in technology that have transformed the way the industry works. However, it is important that we keep some traditions. In my early career sub-contracting wasn’t yet the norm and companies directly employed all the staff from joiners through to plumbers. As the industry has evolved, we have tried to retain those traditions that built our reputation and as a result still carry out our own joinery works having made bespoke fittings for projects such as the Emirates Lounge at Manchester Airport as well as individual windows for listed buildings like Butcher Works.

Having worked on many notable regeneration projects in the region, Mr Hollister is well positioned to comment on the future of the property market. He states;

“Despite working on projects nationwide, we have always seen it is a priority to contribute to our city and we are proud of our legacy of development. We are now seeing signs of, and readily acknowledging, recovery within the property market and South Yorkshire is uniquely placed to capitalise on this. The region benefits from excellent connectivity, great resources with its power supply, lots of land opportunities, the Advanced Manufacturing Park which is a coup for the region, a superbly skilled workforce and a real desire among those working in the sector to ensure its success.

“Sectors such as; Waste and Recycling, IT, supermarkets online retailing and increasingly residential all present opportunities and it is a case of making sure that we are all ready to grasp them. Leeds and Sheffield’s LEPs are making great cases for funding which I understand have been well received and the region’s property community should be proud of its resilience and spirit for which it has become well known.

“This is all the positive outcome from the recession as is the way that the Local Authorities have become more fluid in their approach to new development and seem to be pro-actively seeking ways to engage and work with developers to ensure that schemes can come to fruition.

“I forsee that the next 50 years will bring about further significant changes within the industry, hopefully with some significant levels of speculative development in the next decade, and I hope that JF Finnegan continues to serve the industry, true to its ethos.”

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