Leading commercial real estate investor and developer, Graftongate has strengthened its established team with the appointment of a new construction director.

James Martyn-Smith joins the Henley-in-Arden based business with responsibility for overseeing the design, procurement and delivery of its UK development portfolio.

Formerly an associate director at Trinity Property Consultants, James has gained more than a decade of experience in the commercial property sector with PLCs and privately owned organisations, including RPS.

He will join Graftongate’s experienced development team, led by Colin Beasley and Phil Silk, which has delivered more than £1 billion of industrial and logistics developments since its inception.

The investor and developer specialises in the areas of speculative and built-to-suit developments, asset management and land promotion and is wholly owner-managed.

Colin Beasley, principal at Graftongate, said: “We’re delighted to welcome James to Graftongate. He is highly skilled in leading the delivery of project and cost management services across a variety of sectors and has an extensive knowledge of the construction market. Through his expertise and understanding of the whole development lifecycle, James is well placed to identify opportunities and manage risk on behalf of Graftongate and our investment partners.”

James Martyn-Smith said: “Graftongate has an excellent regional and national reputation as an investor and developer, with the capability of developing on anything from green fields to regenerating contaminated brownfield sites. I am excited to have been given the opportunity to join a dynamic and ambitious business with an enviable track record and look forward to continuing the Graftongate’s growth and development.”