A group of leading retail agents has joined forces to launch Forge, a new agency practice.
Adam Robinson, Ian Webster, Jonathan Mills and Joe Baio combine 60 years’ experience in the retail and leisure sectors. The team says it will advise across the retail sectors, with an emphasis on investment.
Adam Robinson and Ian Webster were founding partners of Robinson Webster, a niche occupational retail agency. Robinson Webster was formed in 2016 after the duo left senior director positions at Jackson Criss and CBRE respectively. The practice is a well-known occupational advisory firm, established in central London, outer London villages and the principal UK cities.
It acts for institutional funds, property companies and family offices including DTZ Investors, CBRE IM and NFU Mutual. The company said it has leased over 2 million square feet of retail and leisure across the UK, advising on flagship lettings as well as providing integrated professional advice.
The remaining Robinson Webster team comprises directors Chris Ward and Liam Jones, along with graduate surveyor Harry Hill.
The Forge team is joined by two new equity partners, Jonathan Mills and Joe Baio, who will lead an investment department providing initial acquisition, asset management and strategic disposal advice.
Jonathan Mills has been a highly active retail investment surveyor. Previously an equity partner at Fawcett Mead and prior to that a director at JLL, he has advised across a wide range of high street, shopping centre, food store and portfolio assets. In 2018, working with Robinson Webster on the occupational side, he advised DTZ Investors on the acquisition of ShopStop in Clapham Junction for circa £140 million. He has advised on numerous sales and acquisitions in UK retail markets, including Bath, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Guildford, Cambridge and Oxford.
Having worked until recently as a director at ADS RE and before this at Fawcett Mead, Baio advised on the purchase and sale of a wide variety of assets, including hotels, retail warehousing, food stores, leisure and high street assets.
The duo has advised some of the largest UK institutions and property companies on retail investment strategies including Nuveen, CBRE IM, DTZ Investors, Legal & General, M&G, Redevco, LondonMetric, Columbia Threadneedle, Savills IM and Wittington.
Jonathan Mills, partner at Forge, said in a statement: “We saw a clear opportunity to create a young, driven and dynamic brand that is unashamedly focused on all aspects of the retail market.
"Having worked collaboratively with Adam and Ian over many years, who are widely regarded as two of the best operators in the occupational market, Joe and I felt that combining our skillsets on the investment side presented an irresistible opportunity to create a fresh vision that will always put a commitment to client service at its core.”
Forge will offer investment, agency and professional advice including acquisition and disposal consultancy advice, asset management and lease advisory, and professional services.
Adam Robinson, partner at Forge, added in a statement: “After six very successful years trading as Robinson Webster, we felt that the time was right to join forces with Jonathan and Joe, two of the most reputable investment agents in the market. Together we are confident we can provide a premier service to clients that will encompass in-depth, holistic advice throughout the entire life cycle of an asset – combining investment, occupational agency, asset management and professional services.”
Forge has launched today (20 September) at www.forge-cp.com.