Silver Partners
Stephen Lewis, Managing Director, HFD Property Group
Connect to success
Stephen Lewis, Managing Director of HFD Property Group, explains the benefits of being a Silver Partner of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce
“WE use our Chamber of Commerce membership to meet, learn and network with other interesting Glasgow businesses. Silver Partnership offers access to senior stakeholders through, for example, influencer dinners and quarterly meetings with the Leader of the Council. This gives us the opportunity to access conversations and insight around the future of the city, which can be very useful.
“I also sit on the Chamber’s Place Forum, which reviews and informs policy related to property, helping to inform the organisation’s response to new local and national government policy on planning, transport and other related issues. Recently, the Chamber has been championing the role Glasgow has to play in delivering a Circular Economy – doing this well before the concept became de rigueur.”
What are your business priorities at the moment? “ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) issues are a top priority for HFD Group – and making a positive impact has been at the heart of our projects for many years. Our current project at 177 Bothwell Street is targeting an ‘A’ EPC rating and a BREEAM standard of ‘Excellent’. We’re
also supporting several charity partners, including Launch Foods, through volunteering. HFD’s contractors are helping deliver the fit-out for its new café, a few doors along from our 177 Bothwell Street development. “Another focus is the expansion of our
serviced office business, Opus, launching this year in the city centre. Operating for 30 years, Opus provides accommodation to support businesses from start-ups to established corporates.” Opus’s 65,000 sq ft of space at 177 Bothwell Street will add to HFD’s offerings at Strathclyde Business Park and Hamilton International Park.
What’s your view on the property/ construction scene in Glasgow? “Investment from major financial institutions has driven activity in the Glasgow property market, which has provided momentum to the construction industry. The decision of Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan and Barclays to locate significant operations in Glasgow – along with Virgin Money’s HQ commitment – is testament to the city’s growing status as a hub for international businesses. “It’s an endorsement of a number
of the city’s attributes, including its talent pool and the ability of the public, private, and education sectors to
collaborate around the attraction of inward investment.”
How important is your partnership with funders and investors? “Our relationships with funders and investors are imperative, especially for the delivery of our individual developments. Our projects are worth hundreds of millions of pounds, with a mixture of our own equity and third- party investment. 177 Bothwell Street, for example, is being delivered with a £88.9 million development loan from the Bank of Scotland’s Green Lending Initiative. “We aim to develop close relationships
with existing and new funders and investors including introducing investors to Glasgow and Scotland for the first time, such as our recently sold 122 Waterloo Street to Korean investors.”
What advice could you give to Chamber members about growing their own companies? “It depends on what stage your business is at, but, generally, use Glasgow Chamber of Commerce to meet, learn and network with companies in your sector and beyond. There is no better option in Glasgow for meeting peers, stakeholders and people from the wider business community.”
www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com 45
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
