Indurent

I am the Estate Manager for Indurent’s Heywood Distribution Park. Having worked in retail throughout my life, I began exploring other careers that would align with my experience and skill set. I was contacted by a recruiter who was looking to fill a role at Heywood Distribution Park,  a well-known hub for logistics businesses, located in the heart of Greater Manchester. Having never visited the park, I decided to take a look and request more details about the position. I was pleasantly surprised by the presentation of the park’s common areas. The care taken to maintain a clean, safe, and welcoming environment was evident, and I immediately felt that this was a place I would like to work and contribute to the development of.

hroughout my career in retail, I developed strong customer service skills, which I believe are at the core of any role. It’s important to recognise that people need to be treated with respect and given the opportunity to voice any issues they may be facing. While the challenges encountered on a logistics park differ from those in a supermarket setting, the principle of providing excellent customer care remains the same. My role requires that I have a NEBOSH or IOSH qualification, for Health and Safety, and an IWFM (Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management) Level 4 qualification.

I take great pride in ensuring the presentation of Heywood Distribution Park is at its best and providing a place that the park’s occupiers are proud of. My focus has been on identifying opportunities to further improve the park for both its occupiers and the wildlife that shares our open spaces. In terms of career highlights, I was thrilled when Indurent received a Green Apple Award for a project I initiated at Heywood, involving the planting of fruit trees, herbs, and wildflowers. It’s a source of pride knowing that, as the orchards develop, future users of the park will be able to enjoy the trees for years to come.

As Development Director, I oversee the full lifecycle of industrial property development across the UK, from the acquisition of sites to their eventual sale or lease to customers. This includes everything from the initial site promotion, planning, and design, to the technical delivery and legal aspects involved in development. I manage the design and execution of land remediation, earthworks, utilities, flood modelling, and highways, ensuring that we meet both environmental and technical standards.

My role is also integral to the financial side of the business; I work closely with the investment team to lead on “oven-ready” site acquisitions and forward-funding arrangements with other developers. This requires a deep understanding of both the property development process and the investment landscape to ensure the success of each project.

After my A Levels, I attended Nottingham Trent University, where I earned a BSc (Hons) in Property Development & Planning. My degree provided me with a solid foundation in both the practical and theoretical aspects of property development, including planning, legal, and financial considerations. I am also a Chartered Surveyor (MRICS).  For my current role, I was approached by a recruiter. The role found me, and once I understood the breadth and scope of what was involved, I was immediately interested. The dynamic nature of property development drew me in, along with the opportunity to work on large-scale, impactful projects.

In property development, no two days are alike. You’re always working on something new, whether it’s designing a new site, negotiating with investors, or liaising with local authorities. There’s also a thrill in the deal-making process, whether it’s landing a new tenant for a speculative development or finalising an acquisition. This diversity offers the chance to develop skills across multiple disciplines, from finance to engineering, to project management and legal matters. I also believe property development is one of the most rewarding professions for chartered surveyors. The ability to transform land into valuable infrastructure, create jobs, and drive economic growth is a huge motivator for me. Equally rewarding is the long-term impact of the projects I work on. It’s immensely satisfying to see greenfield or brownfield sites transformed into thriving industrial hubs. These developments not only benefit local economies but also provide new jobs, boosting the community. Knowing I’m contributing to that positive change is a key reason I find my role so rewarding.

One of my proudest achievements was during the COVID-19 pandemic when I helped deliver over 700,000 square feet of industrial space across two sites in Stoke-on-Trent. The average empty time was less than three months, and involved delivery of key local infrastructure including a new bridge and road network for Etruria Valley. During a challenging period this scheme was a huge success and allowed us to work with major logistics operators in the region. Another major highlight was securing a prime site near East Midlands Airport for a joint venture. This development will deliver a 640,000 square foot industrial unit, the largest in our company’s history and one of the biggest speculative developments set for 2026. It’s an exciting project, and we expect to secure a major logistics occupier before the build is completed. Being involved in such high-profile projects has been a fantastic career milestone.

After they found his details on LinkedIn, the recruitment team at Indurent contacted Rawa directly to apply for his position. The rotational aspect of the role, with a chance to get a taste for each department really appealed to him, along with the opportunity to study for his Masters whilst on the job.

Rawa thrives on the diversity of life as a graduate in logistics, with responsibilities that range from working on investments and transactions, and dealing with the underwriters for new acquisitions, all the way to getting out on-site to meet and greet customers, and carrying out inspections.

“I’ve enjoyed being involved in challenging projects from Day One, and being trusted with a great deal of responsibility.”

Rawa has relished the opportunity to undertake development appraisals, assessing the development potential of smaller sites and considering their planning prospects and development costs. Coming up with a potential masterplan and development strategy is a task which offers him satisfaction and fulfilment in his work. 

Some of Rawa’s highlights since entering the industry have been the opportunities he’s had to visit logistics sites across the UK, getting to grips with operations in the exciting, fast-moving world of logistics, before going home and applying the skills and practices he’s seen in action to his own work.

Earlier this year, he had the chance to visit East Midlands Gateway with Generation Logistics, where he was given a tour of DHL’s new unit: 

“As someone who works in the development side of things, it was really interesting to see the automated pallet operations in such a huge unit, and to understand how occupiers make use of their space.”