Alan James Speech Notes
Myself The Experience Group & and my Companies are truly Honoured to receive this AWARD.
My thanks to Sur in English for Sponsoring this.
53 YEARS IS A LONG TIME
IT HAS BEEN A LONG ROAD BUT WELL WORTH TRAVELLING, WITH FRIENDS COLLEAGUES AND many thousands of clients.
Since 1970 we have been immersed in business here on the Costa Del Sol and in Northern Europe and there are many THANK YOUs that we just need to mention.
Whilst constructing more than 5,000 homes on the coast, and operating 17 companies in various businesses, we have been welcomed with open arms by the Spanish people, by the business community, and employed more that 1,000 people within our Group of Companies.
Myself and My Wife Carol who was by my side throughout this marathon, and my family members, Thank you Spain, for allowing us to develop as we have, and welcoming us in to serve the coast to our best ability.
THANK All of our current and previous staff, without them we could not have seen the success we have enjoyed over the 53 years.
And now a special thank you to Allyson my Daughter who is now the CEO of the Real Estate Division, and Daniella the CEO of the Telecommunications division
For those who are unaware of our activities here are some of our Businesses here through the years.
1970
REAL ESTATE . In 1970 I formed our first Real Estate company designing, building and marketing to mainly NORTH EUROPEAN CLIENTS: We were one of the pioneers of the Spanish international property market
We marketed our developments on the Costa del Sol from Nerja to Sotogrande through our 6 UK offices and our Brussels office.
In conjunction with our partners and other developers we MARKETED designed and in some cases built Benamara Pueblo, Benamara Gardens, Jasmin Villas, Dos Hermanas, Villacana, Puerto Duquesa fase 1, Torrox Costa, La Cortijera Mijas Costa and many more projects.
Our Specialist Exhibition division held Exhibitions every week throughout the UK and Northern Europe and filled our Weekly Property inspection Flights.
During the 1970s the following activities were added
TRAVEL AND TOURISM. We started to charter aeroplanes from northern Europe to MALAGA as many as 20 flights per week with CAA licence, TO SERVICE OUR CLIENT NEEDS.
AT ITS PEAK 3000 incoming passengers per week. Long before the current Operators
The CEO of our Travel companies then Stephen Kendrick deserves a big THANK YOU FOR HIS ENVDEVOURS.
GOLF TOURISM. I quickly saw the market for property to Golfers and started a specialist travel company BENAGOLF , which on the back of our CAA licenced travel company developed the Golfing Market to the Costa del Sol.
We contracted Nick Faldo as our marketing image and this grew rapidly.
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AND RENTALS. We set up our hugely successful specialist companies to serve our growing number of clients. Managing and looking after their properties.
CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES: A big thank you the top Architect Jose Maria Santos Rein and our UK architect John Littlejohn. Both helped me greatly in conceiving and designing our numerous developments.
CATERING & RESTAURANT
We added 3 restaurants to our group activities
INTERIOR DESIGN AND FURNISHING BUSINESS
Under the guidance of my wife carol we opened and expanded a furnishing interior design company to serve our many thousands of clients.
AND SO ON INTO THE 1980s
The companies grew within the group to 17 in number .
WE ENTERED INTO THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUSINESS. Satellite Internet & TV. And the whole Electronics field from TVs to Telephones. Now moved on the Tv , Fibre Optic and telephones.
In 1980 We started constructing the Bena Vista Developments over 1000 properties.
In 1983 THE EL PARAISO GOLF CLUB.
To back up our Golf Tourism business I bought the Gary Player designed El Paraiso Golf course set up the first true members club on the coast.
The club is this year celebrating its 50th Anniversary . A hugely successful business sold to the members many years ago.
In 1984 I BUILT THE BENA VISTA LAWN BOWLS CLUB. and with others formed the Spanish Lawn Bowls Federation which later competed in the Olympics and World Championships. The Bowls club is still operating today.
El Paraiso TENNIS CLUB. We built the 13 courts and other sports facilities and fitted it into our growing Leisure division. Recently been sold on and given modernisation and reform.
Throughout the 1980s our CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES grew exponentially as we increased our developments. Bena Vista, Las Palmeras de Bena Vista, Centro Comecial Bena Vista, Balcon de Bena Vista, Rincon de Paraiso and on and on.
Whist Constructing Centro Comercial Bena Vista 50 commercial units, I built the only privately financed footbridge over the Carretera. As far I know
Then into the 1990s till now . We have sold on some of our companies and most of them are continuing under their new ownership.
Our 6 companies now operating within the Experience Group are:
REAL ESTATE SALES PROPERTY MANAGEMENT PROPERTY RENTALS
CONSTRUCTION AND PROPERTY REFORMS
TELECOMMUNICATIONS: FIBER OPTIC INTERNET, 4 G INTERNET, TV, CCTV SECURITY and ALL THING ELECTRONICS.
Just to wind up can I say THE MOST ASKED QUESTION I HAVE BEEN POSED OVER THESE YEARS IS HOW DO YOU RUN 17 COMPANIES AT THE SAME TIME WITHIN THE GROUP.
THE ANSWER IS : MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING. To use the data to control your companies.
I was first trained into MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANCEY in the 1950s . Initially it was time consuming Ledgers manually accounting.
ALONG CAME MICROSOFT IN 1994 AND THE WHOLE MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING WORLD CHANGED. MAKING OUR BUSINESSES MORE EFFICIENT AND EASIER TO MANAGE
MY ADVICE TO YOU IS TO SPEND TIME ON STUDYING YOUR COMPANY ACTIVITIES THOUGH MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTS it will stand you in good stead.
If you don’t know where to start just ring me I will help you
WITH YOUR ENDEAVOURS I AM SURE THE COAST HAS MANY SUCCESSFUL YEARS AHEAD
Thank you again
