The last word on who鈥檚 moving, shaking and, er, singing

Warming up for 2012 Gleeds launched a dedicated Olympic team this week, signalling that the firm is serious about getting involved in the mega programme. John Murray, senior partner, said in no uncertain terms that it was Gleeds鈥� burning ambition to get started on work for the 2012 Games as soon as possible.

鈥淭he Olympic torch has been lit in the bowels of Gleeds鈥�, he pronounced. Sounds rather painful to QS News.

Hunting Hollingshead

Speculation surrounds the future whereabouts of former Laing O鈥橰ourke boss Steve Hollingshead. One strong rumour was that he would be joining ex-colleague and O鈥橰ourke man Gordon Dunne, who now runs his own concrete contracting business in Scotland. Hollingshead was apparently set to start up a London operation for Dunne but has since gone off the idea and might now be setting up his own development business. Watch this space.

Where are they now?

Where was he? He was managing director at private construction group Mansell which was swallowed up by Balfour Beatty for 拢42m at the back end of 2003. By Spring 2004 he decided to call it quits claiming the role was different and he 鈥渄idn鈥檛 want to go backwards鈥�. He also claimed he was in discussions over future non-executive positions.

Where is he now? In the last year those aforementioned discussions progressed and Cleaver quietly joined Propencity as non-executive chairman. Propencity itself came out of listed construction group Peterhouse in 2003 following a management buyout and includes the splendidly titled contracting brand Totty as well as Dean & Bowes.

Man in the news

Step forward the shy and retiring Simon Woodroffe, the founder of the YO!Sushi restaurant chain, who made rather an impact when speaking at last week鈥檚 networking club Movers & Shakers. Bounding on to the stage at 8am Woodroffe rattled through how he made his millions, revealing that when he was indebted up to his eyeballs during the launch of his first sushi restaurant he called upon the generosity
of the builder to keep his venture afloat (surely some mistake?) by persuading the firm to finance his debt. He finished off the speech by breaking into his self-penned song, entitled Yo!Yo!Yo! (don鈥檛 ask).

Was Woodroffe there just to impart his wisdom and business nous? Nope. He鈥檚 setting up a new YO line, called YO!Homes. Apparently they are flats for 鈥減eople with more money than time鈥�. They will have New York style concierges and a new concept of interiors, according to the star of BB2 show The Dragon鈥檚 Den. 鈥淚nstead of two or three bedroom flats the interiors will be interchangeable. You can change the layout of the flat for the weekends.鈥� Hopefully one can create a soundproof room just in case anyone wants to sing Woodroffe鈥檚 ditty.

Source

QS News