GFW marks milestone year of opportunity, evolution and team growth.
Leading property consultancy GFW (formerly George F. White) marks a pivotal year of growth, with six key new hires alongside significant client and partnership growth.
Since unveiling its new brand identity and vision in 2024, GFW has strengthened its expertise and expanded its team with strategic appointment and internal promotions across key areas of the business, creating fresh opportunities for clients and partners alike, amidst a challenging economic climate.
Among the six recruits was Partner Simon Heydecke who joined earlier in the year from Greggs PLC, bringing over 15 years of expertise in commercial property and strategic asset management, and Associate Surveyor and RICS Registered Valuer Dan Matthews, whose expertise further strengthens GFW’s valuation services.
Reflecting on his time at GFW, Simon said:
“Joining GFW has been really exciting from the start. Everyone on the team brings incredible expertise and a collaborative spirit, which is helping us create real opportunities, not just for our clients, but for each other as well. We’ve got big plans for the rest of this year and into 2026, with plenty of exciting projects and opportunities on the horizon.”
Internally, GFW continues to invest in training and development to ensure its people are equipped to meet rising demand across key sectors, including farm business management, strategic land promotion, property management and planning.
Reflecting on the past year, Richard Garland, Managing Partner said: “When we rebranded as GFW last year, our aim was to refresh our brand to reflect who we are today, keeping a nod to our heritage but showcasing the breadth of expertise we offer and our forward-looking approach. A year on, we’re proud to say we’ve achieved exactly that.
“This has been a year of opportunity and resilience. We’ve widened our team, strengthened our services, and built on trusted relationships that are opening doors to projects of regional and national significance. The economic backdrop may be challenging, but our depth of expertise means we are well placed to help clients navigate uncertainty and unlock growth.”
Over the last 12 months GFW has supported rural clients through changes to grants, subsidies and tax legislation, leading to strong demand for valuation and succession planning services. Commercially, the practice has expanded its property management offering, grown its commercial client portfolio and set up more integrated management services for improved efficiency and service. For development clients, GFW has been at the forefront of a number of nationally significant developments, including strategic land promotion of all scales up to garden village schemes and energy and data schemes of significant scale, all which have drawn on in house planning and masterplanning support, reflecting the renewed ambition for development across the North East and wider UK.
Richard added: “The next 12 months will be a fascinating period politically and economically. We have deliberately invested in the areas of our team where we see opportunity in the market and as a result, we are uniquely placed to help clients deliver complex and multidisciplinary projects of increasing regional and national significance. We’re excited to play our part in the region’s ambitious growth story.”
gfwllp.co.uk