A niche real estate asset management company has opened a Birmingham office and recruited one of the city’s most well-known commercial property agents to help grow its business.
Worcester-based Blue Marble Properties has appointed Tim Suffield as a consultant and strategic adviser and opened a new office in Birmingham’s Newhall Street. At the same time the company has changed its name to Blue Marble Asset Management to more accurately reflect its core activities.
The former Head of the Birmingham office and National Head of Industrial Agency at BNP Paribas, and presently a commercial property consultant, Tim Suffield will work closely with Blue Marble Chief Executive Tim Matthews on a business growth strategy.
Founded by Mr Matthews in 2011, Blue Marble Asset Management presently has more than £60 million of property assets under management, and Mr Matthews believes that recruiting Mr Suffield and opening a Birmingham office will help the company add even more value for its existing clients, as well as increasing its client base.
He said: “To be able to work with such a highly respected and well known member of the property profession as Tim is a real coup for Blue Marble, and along with our new Birmingham presence amongst such a large cluster of property professionals, will help in the identification of future projects and the recruitment of new clients and new senior people, all of which will contribute to the company’s growth.”
Mr Suffield said: “I am delighted to be using my experience to helping Blue Marble grow. The company already has a strong track record of investments and returns and I am keen to help add to its achievements.”
Mr Matthews said: “We aim to be ahead of the curve on strategy and opportunities, moving into areas of the market months ahead of mainstream investors, ensuring better returns for our clients. We have been very active in the past 12 months securing many office and industrial properties in off market transactions.”
Recent off market deals completed by Blue Marble include the purchase of offices at 57-63 Church Street in Birmingham City Centre, jointly with Antringham Developments, the acquisition of a fully let 35,000 sq ft industrial unit with four acres of development land on the Drum Industrial Estate, Chester-le-Street, and the acquisition of a 27,000 sq ft unit let to Travis Perkins company, CCF, at Langley Mill and of a 16,000 sq ft unit at Haydock, with a further acquisition in the North East of England about to be completed.
Blue Marble Asset Management works for a broad range of clients including investment businesses, high net worth individuals, trusts and family offices. Its business is based on taking a holistic view of each of its property investments.
Mr Matthews said: “At the point of acquisition we have already developed a thought through plan for each property. We maximise the return on our clients’ property portfolios through a blend of strategic investment advice leading to acquisition and disposal solutions combined with active asset management. We look at all aspects of investing in a property, including our clients’ attitude to risk.
“We can take over and actively manage existing property portfolios or shape a property strategy with new investors,” explained Mr Matthews.
Blue Marble Asset Management’s Head Office is at Whittington Hall, Whittington Road, Worcester, WR5 2ZX.
