Gleeds axes US alliance strategy and opens new office in Carolina

Gleeds has scrapped plans to form an alliance in the US. The firm has instead opened a third American office and poached two staff to run it from British rival in the US Faithful+Gould.

British QS David Fryer will run the new branch at Greenville, North Carolina. American project manager Bill Christensen will lead business development.

Chris Soffe, head of Gleeds in the US, said the firm had decided that alliances bring “more baggage than opportunities”.

He said: “Alliances are OK but as soon as there is no financial ties between partners they tend to be a bit flat. We would rather grow the Gleeds brand as it is. We don’t need anyone else.”

We would rather grow the Gleeds brand as it is. We don’t need anyone else

Chris Soffe, Gleeds US

Gleeds US grew by 41% last year and contributed 28% of all profit from international operations for the firm. Soffe said he was aiming for further growth of 20% this year.

The new office, christened Gleeds Carolinas, currently has only two staff but Fryer plans to take this to six within a year. The office will target both South and North Carolina in a range of sectors including infrastructure, site development, education, research, industrial, criminal justice and churches.

Soffe said the firm would focus on the south east of the US: “Its economy is as large as the UK’s and 55 million people live there, so this is where we’re concentrating our efforts.” He said the firm would pursue organic growth although acquisitions were possible. Further office openings look likely for Gleeds in North Carolina and Florida. The firm’s other US offices are in Atlanta and Denver, where the firm has around 30 staff.

Cyril Sweett recently told QS News it was poised to clinch a US alliance.