Directors Reflect on our 20 Year Anniversary
30-07-2019 News, The Team
In light of Clarendon Homes’ milestone year, Directors Steve Jarrett and Kenny Hill look back on Clarendon’s journey and discuss what the future holds:
“It is a real milestone reaching 20 years; something we are really proud of. Looking back Clarendon has come a long way and it feels like a long time ago that we sat around Steve’s dining table and decided to start the company – Steve actually had hair then! Originally there were just a few people working in the office at Kenny’s house in Harrietsham, before moving to above his garage in Leeds in 2003 where the company was based until about 2013, with a handful of office staff. The first project we undertook was the extension of a nursing home in Ashford, and the first development was a single house in Harrietsham. We initially stayed very local, constructing two further houses and a development of nine houses in Harrietsham, a house in Bearsted, and some in Langley and Kingswood. It is only in the last five years or so that we have ventured further, outside of Maidstone to areas such as Wrotham, Tunbridge Wells, and Borough Green.
We moved to our purpose-built office in Harrietsham about six years ago as we wanted to expand and have our own in-house architects, sales team, and accountants. This enabled gradual growth of the Clarendon team, to now fifteen office staff members who are almost outgrowing the office, as well as over forty site workers! The in-house resources have enabled us to work on larger scale projects and back in 2016 we built several houses in the £1.5m range. We are continuing to grow and look at different types of projects including care assisted homes and self-build, to keep ahead of the market. We are now also a land buying and selling company, creating Kent Land and Planning last year to handle the land side of business, with our own land purchaser.
Although we have grown a lot and now in a different league to when we started, we have always been a traditional builder and our bespoke, small business mindset has remained, creating the highest quality whether a bungalow or million-pound house. Throughout the buying process we work closely with the purchasers to customise their home to their personal preferences and needs. We also look to incorporate the latest technology such as home automation and wireless music systems into many of our homes, to provide modern living. We have also been installing underfloor heating for fifteen years as well as exploring new methods of heating over the past few years such as air source heat pumps. It is the attention to detail and consistent high quality which has led to us being an award-winning company for three years running.
Lastly, but not least we owe our success to our staff. The business is family run and although now the majority of our employees are not in fact related, everyone works as a team and in our eyes is part of a family – the Clarendon family. Their enthusiasm and dedication make it possible for us to progress and grow, so we thank each of them for their commitment and continued hard work. They ensure we can continue to build unique homes which we hope our customers love as much as we enjoy creating them.”
To celebrate we enjoyed a boat party on the River Thames on Saturday 27th July, taking in all of the sights of London while feasting on a BBQ and our very own Clarendon Homes anniversary cake! More photos to follow!
What our partners and suppliers have to say about working with us over the years:
“I am proud to say we have worked with Clarendon Homes since their very first projects. I remember Steve was asking about a site in Kingswood which he wasn’t sure would sell, and they did end up selling them almost immediately and have never looked back. Their consistent high-quality work and close-knit team are factors which have led to their success. We have maintained a great working relationship with Clarendon throughout the years and hope to continue the partnership, and wish them well for the next 20 years”. – Alan Swift, Director, Swift Roofing
“Homeleigh has been working with Clarendon Homes from the very beginning and so have established a loyal and long-term relationship. We congratulate them on reaching 20 years and wish them all the best for the next 20.” – Trevor Jenkins, Managing Director, Homeleigh Timber & Building Supplies
“Eeles Plastering and Clarendon Homes have enjoyed a strong partnership of professionalism and quality skills now for more than a decade. The team at Clarendon Homes have raised the bar with each development and it has been fascinating to witness the changes in technology for house building across the years. This partnership in turn has helped my own business growth across the South East. I’m delighted that the company are celebrating their 20th anniversary and look forward to continuing our partnership as demand for new, smart homes continues.” – Tony Eeles, Director, Eeles Plastering & Rendering
“We have worked with Clarendon Homes since 2007 and from the beginning it was clear that they worked to a very high standard. Over the past 12 years I have seen Clarendon Homes expand which has helped my company grow alongside them. With technology progressing rapidly, we started installing smart homes four years ago and I am proud to say we have completed some amazing high spec executive homes, each with full automation for heating, lighting and audio which can be controlled by voice through Alexa. We have a great relationship with Clarendon Homes and look forward to seeing what the future holds.” – Darren Faulkner, Director, Faulkner & Sons Electrical Services
“Alon Interiors have had the pleasure of working with Clarendon Homes designing their kitchens for around 3 years now. As the Contracts Manager for Alon Interiors, I work with Clarendon Homes often. I particularly like how receptive Clarendon are on each project – taking on board suggestions and ideas that we give them. Each housing project of theirs is outstanding, and it is a pleasure to design kitchens to match their high standards. Happy 20th anniversary from all of us at Alon.” – Jane Holder, Contacts Manager, Alon Interiors
“Porcelanosa is forever proud to partner with Clarendon Homes. Our products are a perfect fit for such a bespoke luxury home builder and along with our customers we are always pleased with the end results. We congratulate Clarendon on reaching the 20 years milestone.” – Sandra Lopes Praca, Business Development Manager, Porcelanosa
