Dunelm Property Services, the company formed in summer 2002 by Esh Group, to focus on the social housing sector has announced projected turnover figures for 2004 of around £15 million, making it the fastest growing construction company in the north east.  Contracts worth over £43 million have been secured to date and the Company is now active on eight sites around the region.

Led by Managing Director, David Halfacre, Dunelm Property Services' key focus is to provide refurbished and new-build affordable housing throughout the region.  Contracts won to date include;

Enterprise 5 Housing Association, Newcastle upon Tyne;   four contracts worth £2.1 million in Tyneside and County Durham.  The contracts include three sites of new build properties, totalling 28 homes, and a window replacement programme to 42 households.

Tristar Homes Limited;   Dunelm Property Services is delivering just under a quarter of the £100 million 'Decent Standard' contract for Tristar Homes Limited, the company set up to deliver improvement works to Stockton on Tees Borough Council's housing stock.  Dunelm Property Services' work will focus on 3,000 homes in the Stockton area.  The overall contract, which is expected to take between 5 to 7 years to complete, will see improvements to the majority of council owned housing in the area.  The strategic partnership agreement created by Tristar Homes to deliver the work also includes Connaught Property Services, Frank Haslam Milan and Mears Building Services.

Derwentside District Council, Co Durham;                   A joint venture has been established as part of the regeneration of Lily Garden Estate on the outskirts of Dipton, Co Durham.  The 'mixed use' scheme with Derwentside District Council will provide 15 share-owned or rented homes, which will be built by Dunelm Property Services, and 34 new build private homes, which will be built by sister company Dunelm Castle Homes.  Responsibility for the share-owned and rented homes will be taken over by Nomad Housing Association in conjunction with Derwentside District Council.

Commenting on the Dipton joint venture Brian Manning, Group Managing Director of Esh Group, said;

'The work at Dipton is a triumph of teamwork and is a tremendous example of the benefits that can be delivered by combining the skills of companies within Esh Group.  Dunelm Castle Homes has been working together with Derwentside District Council for almost two years now to find a suitable solution for this site and we are delighted that Dunelm Property Services was able to introduce Nomad to complete the partnership.  I know that David and his team have a great reputation within the sector, they are recognised as true partners, straightforward, honest and open'

David Halfacre added;

'Teamwork and partnership underpin all of our work.  We have achieved remarkable success in a very short time at Dunelm Property Services.  Collectively the senior team here represents over 120 years of experience in the social housing sector, but we don't rest on our laurels, we constantly work to improve and deliver even greater satisfaction for our clients and their clients, the tenants, in turn.'

The senior management team at Dunelm Property Services includes, David Halfacre, Managing Director; Colin Ford, Contracts Manager; Graham Morgan Commercial Manager; Heather Newell, Business Development Manager.  Gavin Brown, Keith Bircham, Gill McKeon and Tracy Clare are the front line staff dealing with resident liaison.  The Company now employs more than 70 staff over two-thirds of whom are site-based.