CERT 2022 Round Up – Comments from our founder

As the year 2022 draws to an end, CERT’s Founder & Managing Director Howard Lord shares his comments on the year past and hopes for the year ahead. 

 

What a year it has been!

After emerging from the shocks to the property market and the economy from covid, we ran straight into the spillover from a war in Europe and the cost of living crisis and the impact that has had on the industry and economy. To say it has been a challenging year for the industry and for CERT is therefore an understatement.

Whilst the year started with positivity and optimism, the administration of our contractor on Peelers Yard quickly set the tone that we were likely to have a challenging year ahead! Despite this, I’m proud to say that we have responded to these challenges as a team and managed to deliver a number of successes.

The letting of Duke and Parr to Sony, representing the largest letting deal in Liverpool in 3 years was the standout success of the year and demonstrated a project which was a true team effort with input from all departments to get to this milestone letting. It is an achievement we should be collectively proud of as a business.

Alongside this, we have also successfully started the delivery of Royal Canal Works, delivering much-needed affordable homes for Stretford. The scheme is progressing well and we are looking forward to securing planning and being able to commence the delivery of the remaining phases of houses – marking our first housing project and is set to be the first of many.

Whilst the year has seen other projects take longer than anticipated due to complications, challenges or issues created by the economic headwinds, we have continued to make progress with a range of other projects which has set us up well to have a really successful 2023.

We’ve collectively created something really special at CERT and for me probably the biggest achievement of 2022 is to really see that come together with our diverse team really gelling and settling during the course of the year. This team spirit and increasing cohesion more than anything gives me pride for the year and excitement for what lies ahead. All we have done and all we seek to achieve is only possible with the team that we have, and the efforts we collectively make drive the business forward in unison.

Bring on 2023!

Howard Lord, Founder & Managing Director @ CERT