Naismiths has appointed Josh Ward-Jones as an associate director of building consultancy, as part of a strategic scaling up of its operations in the Midlands.

The national firm of surveyors, which grew its revenue by 26% and expanded its team of chartered surveyors by 37% in 2019, is now consolidating a period of rapid growth by bolstering its capability in its strategically important Midlands market.

Ward-Jones joins Naismiths from JLL, where he joined as a graduate surveyor but climbed the ladder to become an associate director.

He has served as client relationship manager on several of JLL’s key landlord and developer projects.

Gareth Belsham, head of building consultancy at Naismiths, said: “The Midlands is set to be a strategically vital region for the UK’s post-Covid economic recovery. As the ‘new normal’ becomes clearer, both developers and lenders are identifying opportunities across the Midlands and along the route of HS2. Whenever and wherever they do, Naismiths stands ready to help with a comprehensive range of building consultancy and project monitoring services.

“Naismiths was established in and has always had a strong presence in the Midlands, and Josh is set to make a big impact with our Birmingham-based team of professionals. His combination of local knowledge and national pedigree will be crucial as we boost our building consultancy capability and consolidate our momentum in our fastest-growing market.”