Portland Estates Management acquire respected commercial property firm Dodds Brown.
Portland Estates Management has amalgamated with 130-year-old property firm Dodds Brown in an “exciting step” for both businesses.
Portland focuses on property management, while the Dodds Brown staff bring expertise in selling and letting commercial buildings, managing property, and offering landlord and tenant services.
The directors believe the joining of the two teams will make them stand out from their competitors.
Portland focuses on property management, while the Dodds Brown staff bring expertise in selling and letting commercial buildings, managing property, and offering landlord and tenant services.
Director Barbara Blenkinsop said: “We believe we’ve got every base covered. This is a very exciting step and we’re delighted to have joined forces with such a respected and well-known business as Dodds Brown.
“Over the years both Portland and Dodds Brown have acquired clients from longer-established surveying companies because we provide a hands-on approach with transparent communication and a proactive service.
“We know clients want and prefer that.”
She added: “We’ve each also cherry picked very good individuals to build a group of like-minded people and it’s going to be great to see them work together.”
Dodds Brown staff now will move to Portland’s refurbished offices in Stockton with its meeting spaces, conference suite and car parking. All employees have been retained, and the combined team now numbers 14. Dodds Brown’s office in Middlesbrough’s Albert Road will be sold.
A new role has been created to ensure a smooth transition of the facilities management teams and further positions are likely to be created.
Stephen Brown, former senior partner at Dodds Brown, will become a consultant and continue advising his clients.
He said: “I could not be prouder of the business which has carried my family’s name for so long.
“The joining together of Portland and Dodds Brown is fantastic news for the Tees Valley and beyond, where people are crying out for the services it will provide.”
Richard Wilson, who was once a colleague of Barbara’s, said the acquisition creates the only full-service agency – both managing property and buying, selling, and letting – in the Tees Valley. Richard works with companies such as Thirteen, AV Dawson and Ashall Properties.
He said: “We’ll have a team of in-house accountants, facility managers, and valuers and will not outsource functions.
“We believe that is so important to the smooth running of our clients’ operations who, crucially, will always know who they’re dealing with.
“It’s going to be a focused team working together in one office.”
Olly Lawson from Portland joins Barbara as a director alongside Richard Wilson from Dodds Brown.
Olly said: “I’m really looking forward to bringing all these skilled people together under one roof, taking advantage of economies of scale and sharing best working practices.”
He added: “We’ll continue to look outside the Tees Valley but this area has begun to take off and we want to play our role – as the only local agency of its kind – to ensure that business owners, their staff, and their families see the benefits of the investment they’re going to make.”
Portland Estates Management was originally a part of Robertson Simpson Ltd before becoming an independent company in 2020.
Its clients include Mandale Group, Rentokil, and Landteam Property Investments.
Portland also manages properties for clients in other parts of the UK, including Scotland, Wales, and Yorkshire and has a second office in Gateshead.
