BUSINESS
SHAPING CRAW Vail Williams celebrates 30 years in Gatw On May 26th 1995, Vail Williams opened its doors at 9 The Boulevard in Crawley for the first time as the Rt. Hon. Nicholas Soames MP cut the ceremonial ribbon. At the time, the property consultancy had eight other offices in Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex. Their Crawley office was led by Peter Ross. The firm’s focus was on commercial property work across Sussex and along the M23 corridor, concentrating on Crawley / Gatwick, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Redhill and Reigate.
Suzanne, said: “We started with three people, and one of our first instructions after opening in Crawley in the 1990s was as joint letting agent for a Wilson Connolly development proposed for the Crawley High Street.
Rt. Hon. Nicholas Soames MP (second right) opening Vail Williams’ first office in Crawley 30 years ago.
Some 30 years and three new Regional Managing Partners later, Suzanne
Holloway, who became regional managing partner in 2024 following in the footsteps of Danny George and Peter Sudworth, takes a trip down memory lane.
Vail Williams’ Crawley team today, pictured outside Crawley Town Hall
Reflecting on Vail Williams’ role as part of the fabric of the local community,
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“The 45,800 sq ft Town Mead office development represented just the start of what would become a successful property practice, which has seen our team and service offering grow significantly ever since.” Today, Vail Williams’ Crawley office at Peveril Court is home to around 20 people, with a wider VW family of 180 colleagues who provide a broad range of property advisory services to occupiers, landlords, investors and developers of commercial and residential property