A conversation with Open’s Managing Director Peter Smith

What have been the highlights of 2023 for the company?

Well, it’s been an unexpectedly challenging year with external economic factors continuing to affect us and others in our industry. But as we have done in previous years, we’ve adapted to make sure we can continue to deliver the high standards that our clients expect of us.

We’ve continued to foster really good relationships with our clients, subcontractors, and suppliers. And our clear, collaborative approach has meant we’ve tackled the challenges together to get the right results for everyone.

As the managing Director I’m proud of our team and what we’ve achieved – from the refurbishment of industrial units to the fit-out of offices, we’ve completed a real mix of projects this year in London and the South East.

Three of our office projects have won awards, and we continue to receive high scores from independent H&S inspections, as well as ‘Very Good’ Considerate Constructors Scheme ratings. And it’s always rewarding to get great feedback from our clients too.

We’ve welcomed three new members of the team this year – Gemma, Tom and Danielle – increasing our project management and estimating capacity with individuals who share our values. And Matt, our Pre-Contracts Director, is now part of the management team leading Open Contracts into the future.

What does 2024 hold for you and the team at Open?

We’ll continue to focus on creating opportunities to tender for industrial and office refurbishment projects in London and the South East, building on the existing relationships we have with our clients and hopefully making new connections. And we’ll continue to work in ways that we know can deliver excellent results – we know our strengths and it’s important to build on these as we plan for the future in an ever-changing economic environment.

And how will you be spending this festive holiday?

I’m looking forward to having some time off and spending that time with my family. And of course, there’s the Boxing Day mountain bike ride with friends that’s become something of a tradition for me.