Housing and social care provider Mears seeks new Board chair

Published by

Nicky Godding

Housing and social care provider, Mears Group, is on the hunt for a new chair after Bob Holt announced his intention not to stand for re-election at the 2019 Annual General Meeting, following 22 years in the post.

During his time in post, Mears has grown from a small maintenance business in Gloucester to the leading housing with care business in the UK, with revenues of over £900 million.

The company's interim results for the period ended 30 June 2018 show Group revenue down eight per cent, to £435.3 million, but a rise in operating profit of five per cent to £20.5 million.

A central service review identified and secured annualised savings of £5 million.

The company describes its results as a 'solid performance in 2018 following a challenging prior year,". It reports a bid pipeline in excess of £2.8 billion.

David Miles, Chief Executive, Mears, said: "Mears has delivered a solid performance in the first half of 2018. The Board is confident of making further progress for the full year, in line with its expectations, and for the long-term. "Our financial and market position is robust as we seek to build on existing strengths and take advantage of new opportunities. We have sustained a high level of service delivery in Housing and improved the performance in our Care business.

"Mears is evolving its services, especially in the areas of Housing Management and Development, to align fully with customer demand and to provide additional growth opportunities that will add to shareholder value over time."

Mears is now one of the UK's leading service providers to the public and private sectors. With over 10,000 employees, Mears aims to address major issues such as homelessness and supporting the UK's health and social care system.

In housing, Mears repairs and maintain around 15 per cent of the UK's social homes and is increasingly focussed on providing broader affordable housing solutions. The company directly manages 11,000 homes and is one of the largest providers of temporary and emergency accommodation across the country.

It also provides personal care to 20,000 people a year in their own homes.

Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe. After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts. She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.