Newcastle-based commercial property consultants, Naylors, have announced a significant double appointment as part of the continued expansion of its agency department.
The firm has appointed Chris Donabie and Jessica Simpson taking its agency team to a total of seven surveyors covering office, retail, investment and industrial markets, a move it says has bolstered its position as one of the largest commercial agency teams in the North East.
Chris Donabie, a well-established industrial & logistics specialist in the region, has joined Naylors as a director within the industrial team and will be working alongside Keith Stewart and Sally Birks.
Chris previously worked at Cushman & Wakefield’s Newcastle office (formerly DTZ) for 11 years, heading up its North East industrial and logistics team since 2013.
During his time at DTZ and then C&W, Chris was involved in the marketing of high profile schemes such as Follingsby Park in Gateshead, Drum Estate in Chester Le Street, Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate and The Waterfront at Newburn Riverside. Acting on behalf of occupiers he recently disposed of the former Hammerite factory (100,000 sq ft) in Prudhoe and the 270,000 sq ft Essentra (formerly Cigarette Components) factory in Jarrow.
He commented: “Over the years I have been fortunate enough to work on some of the North East’s most prominent schemes and for some fantastic clients. Naylors, as the largest independent property consultancy in the North East, has an enviable instruction and client book with an undoubted pedigree in the industrial and logistics sector. They are a very forward thinking company in growth mode and client service is at the heart of what they do. I share their values and felt this was a logical step for me to join with Keith and the team to help grow the firm’s offering and expertise, which will ultimately benefit Naylors’ clients. I am very excited about the move.”
Jessica Simpson has been appointed as commercial agency surveyor to work on both office and retail instructions alongside Simon Taylor and James Fletcher.
Jessica previously worked within the investment team at Northumberland Development Company, Arch, where she acquired a range of properties for the firm’s portfolio. She also previously worked for Knight Frank, where she qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 2014.
Naylors’ managing director, Angus White said: ‘We are delighted to announce these two strategic appointments, which will significantly strengthen our agency department. Now with two highly experienced directors within the industrial team we are confident we can offer an unrivalled level of expertise to clients. Both Chris and Jessica are well established in their markets and we are confident they will make a positive impact on the growth of the business going forwards.”
Earlier this year Naylors announced plans to increase its turnover to £2 million over the next five years following the appointment of non-executive chairman, Jon Symonds, who has helped the company establish a five-year growth strategy.