The last word on who’s moving, shaking and, er, singing

Warming up for 2012 Gleeds launched a dedicated Olympic team this week, signalling that the firm is serious about getting involved in the mega programme. John Murray, senior partner, said in no uncertain terms that it was Gleeds’ burning ambition to get started on work for the 2012 Games as soon as possible.

“The Olympic torch has been lit in the bowels of Gleeds”, he pronounced. Sounds rather painful to QS News.

Hunting Hollingshead

Speculation surrounds the future whereabouts of former Laing O’Rourke boss Steve Hollingshead. One strong rumour was that he would be joining ex-colleague and O’Rourke man Gordon Dunne, who now runs his own concrete contracting business in Scotland. Hollingshead was apparently set to start up a London operation for Dunne but has since gone off the idea and might now be setting up his own development business. Watch this space.

Where are they now?

Where was he? He was managing director at private construction group Mansell which was swallowed up by Balfour Beatty for £42m at the back end of 2003. By Spring 2004 he decided to call it quits claiming the role was different and he “didn’t want to go backwards”. He also claimed he was in discussions over future non-executive positions.

Where is he now? In the last year those aforementioned discussions progressed and Cleaver quietly joined Propencity as non-executive chairman. Propencity itself came out of listed construction group Peterhouse in 2003 following a management buyout and includes the splendidly titled contracting brand Totty as well as Dean & Bowes.

Man in the news

Step forward the shy and retiring Simon Woodroffe, the founder of the YO!Sushi restaurant chain, who made rather an impact when speaking at last week’s networking club Movers & Shakers. Bounding on to the stage at 8am Woodroffe rattled through how he made his millions, revealing that when he was indebted up to his eyeballs during the launch of his first sushi restaurant he called upon the generosity
of the builder to keep his venture afloat (surely some mistake?) by persuading the firm to finance his debt. He finished off the speech by breaking into his self-penned song, entitled Yo!Yo!Yo! (don’t ask).

Was Woodroffe there just to impart his wisdom and business nous? Nope. He’s setting up a new YO line, called YO!Homes. Apparently they are flats for “people with more money than time”. They will have New York style concierges and a new concept of interiors, according to the star of BB2 show The Dragon’s Den. “Instead of two or three bedroom flats the interiors will be interchangeable. You can change the layout of the flat for the weekends.” Hopefully one can create a soundproof room just in case anyone wants to sing Woodroffe’s ditty.

Source

QS News