The Hobbs Parker Blogs

The Hobbs Parker Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Jon Rimmer as the company’s new Chairman.  Jon will take over from Richard Wood who, after 30 years with the company, is due to retire later this year.  Although Richard will be spending more time away from the offices, he will be undertaking some consultancy work and so will remain a familiar face at livestock auctions through 2011.

Jon is currently Managing Director of Hobbs Parker Property Consultants but also assists as one of the Senior Livestock Auctioneers at Ashford Market.  An unusual professional combination, but it means he oversees some very varied sections of The Hobbs Parker Group and has a broad base of experience.  Jon’s background is in Rural Estate Management and he is both a qualified member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers.  Jon first joined the company as a graduate in 1991 before acquiring five years of further professional experience working for Halls in Kidderminster and Bruton Knowles in Gloucester.  He rejoined Hobbs Parker in 1999 and has been with the company ever since.

The announcement of a new Chairman comes at a buoyant time for the group.  Despite the current stories of economic gloom, Hobbs Parker is delighted that they have come through the recession relatively unscathed and even with some impressive growth figures for 2009.  At a recent Bank of England Dinner, they were one of just two Kent companies who were able to report exciting results in 2009 and optimism for 2010.

Jon Rimmer sees his appointment as the group’s new Chairman as a chance to continue building the company and he is bullish about the future.  ‘We’ve enjoyed tremendous growth over recent years and Richard Wood is leaving the company in a strong position.  I’m delighted to take on the stewardship of the various group businesses and see my appointment as the start of a new chapter.  Hobbs Parker has been trading since 1850 and it’s a privilege to be at the helm of one of Ashford’s largest employers and such an historic local company.  We’re a strong and diverse business and I’m extremely optimistic for Hobbs Parker’s future’.

Hobbs Parker certainly has an unusually long-lived history.  For the first 155 years, the company operated as a traditional partnership until 2005 saw a restructuring.  A new structure of specialist Limited Liability Partnerships was set-up, allowing the business to appoint many of its key staff as new Directors and joint owners of the various LLPs.  Now 17 Directors manage the five specialised businesses: Estate Agents, Auctioneers, Car Auctions, Property Consultants and Telecoms, each focused as a distinct business entity within the group.  Since that point five years ago, company turnover has doubled and the directors are looking forward with optimism, especially as this year will see the opening of a new Estate Agents’ office in Tenterden and the acquisition of an IT Services business to extend the services provided by Hobbs Parker Telecom.

Posted by Sally Randall