17.11.19

Modular momentum continues to build with our key new hire

We are delighted to introduce a new addition to the ilke Homes team, Matthew Bench. 

Matthew will be joining the company as group executive director of growth and partnerships, bringing with him a wealth of expertise to boost our mission to build better homes in a better way. 

Matthew will lead our business development and growth strategy, focusing his attention on establishing new strategic partnerships and supporting our existing ones. With over 20 years’ experience in the industry, Matthew is joining our team from one of the country’s biggest housebuilders, Crest Nicholson, where he was group partnership director for over six years. 

Having previously co-founded his own residential investment business, Matthew is uniquely placed to offer our team strategic advice, enabling us to scale-up our delivery from hundreds of homes a year into the thousands. His role will be pivotal in the development of the business over the long term, as we set our sights firmly on becoming a UK top ten housebuilder within the next 10 years.

His hiring comes at a key time for the company, as we continue to expand our production and grow the business. 

In May, we signed a strategic partnership with Places for People, that will see the delivery of 750 homes to sites across the country, in what is the UK’s biggest ever modular deal.

This month, we received a £30m investment from Homes England, which will allow us to open up a new factory, more than doubling our housebuilding capacity from 2,000 homes a year to 5,000 over the next five years.

If the modular sector is to reach its potential, then partnerships will have a crucial part to play. In his new role, Matthew will build strategic relationships with housing associations, local authorities, private developers and private housebuilders alike. 

By forging new partnerships, we will be able to deliver high-quality, sustainable homes to sites across the country, harnessing the expertise of the private sector coupled with the local knowledge of the public sector.

Not only this, but modular manufacturing can deliver homes at twice the speed as traditional construction, meaning that revenue streams can be opened up for all parties at a faster rate. This is where Matthew will exceed: collaborating with new partners and educating them on the vast benefits of modular manufacturing. 

Given the scale of the housing crisis, collaboration is a top priority. We, as an industry, simply cannot do it alone. 

As an exciting year at ilke Homes comes to an end, we can’t wait for 2020 to get started. We want to establish new long-lasting and rewarding partnerships and ensure that this country gets the homes it deserves. 

If you want to hear more about how we can work with you, please contact matthew.bench@ilkehomes.co.uk