Ad hoc: Holmes Investment Properties Plc hires leisure specialist to accelerate venue openings

Holmes Investment Properties Plc hires leisure specialist to accelerate venue openings

Holmes Investment Properties Plc (HIP) has secured the services of Mr Grant Wright, an experienced specialist in the UK leisure sector, to drive forward its leisure business. Now that HIP has three leisure partners, with another in negotiation to sign up, there is a need to strengthen and broaden the Company's senior management to manage the additional work load. The three leisure partners to date are the adventure parks concept developed by Mr David Lloyd, a well-known trampoline operator and a go-karting partner, for whom HIP will source and purchase land to develop sports and leisure centres on their partners' behalf. Mr Wright has twenty-five years' experience in sports and active leisure through both owning and operating venues in the UK and Europe. This includes working for David Lloyd Leisure as Operations Director, where he was responsible for running nearly 100 leisure centres; and more recently as Chief Executive of the World of Golf in the UK.

Mr Wright commented: "I feel I have a great deal to offer Holmes Investment Properties to help ensure the success of their venture. My main focus will be supervising the design, build and roll-out of each centre to ensure value for money and a swift execution based on my experience at senior levels in the industry. My second focus is to build up the number of partners that HIP can be building and developing leisure centres and facilities for."

Martin Helme, CEO of Holmes Investment Properties added: " We are delighted to have secured Grant as a member of the team. It is a considerable endorsement of HIP as he is in demand. He is well known and well connected in the industry and the plan is that a number of other operators who respect him will now be approached to partner with HIP. This development will assist in HIP's eventual goal of owning 100 centres throughout Europe, each with an experienced and solid operator as long term tenant providing solid rental income underpinned by expected capital growth."

Contact:

Martin Helme, Chief Executive Officer +44 (0)7779 601541 or +44 (0)203 709 7120 Martin@hip-prop.co.uk

Murray Harkin, The Lyndon Agency +44 (0)77852 54639 Murray@thelyndonagency.com