North-east entrepreneur James Barrack said last night he was “truly touched and hugely honoured” after being presented with a business leadership gong at the Scottish Property Awards.
The co-founder and chairman of Aberdeen-based Knight Property Group received his accolade in front of about 700 fellow industry professionals at a ceremony in Glasgow.
Mr Barrack, 54, said: “I would never have thought 35 years ago when my father and I started Knight Property Group that one day I would actually be standing here having just been presented with this award.
‘Ups and downs, good days and bad days’
“There are always lots of ups and downs, good days and bad days in our industry, and its certainly not all plain sailing – otherwise everyone would be doing it.
“And we do need to take calculated risks… and that’s why it’s important to surround yourselves with the right team. I’ve definitely done that.”
Mr Barrack – winner of the 2013 Grampian industrialist of the year title – started his career in the family haulage business, where he carried out duties ranging from sweeping yards and slinging pipes to handling administration in the transport and accounts offices.
He and his father, Hamish, launched property developer Knight in 1987.
The business has grown substantially since then, both through acquisitions and geographical expansion to other parts of Scotland.
In 2009 Knight’s chairman founded his own charitable trust and he and the company have since donated more than £1.5 million to about 200 registered charities Scotland-wide.
Property sector’s cream of the crop
The ninth annual Scottish Property Awards celebrated finalists and winners in 15 categories showcasing the best in property development across the country, including commercial and public projects, deals and teams.
Last night’s celebration was the first live event for the awards in more than two years.
A judging panel of 20 industry experts assessed and scored entries featuring office developments, hospitals, schools, health and community centres, universities, hotels and regeneration sites.
