Housebuilder Berkeley DeVeer, run by former Persimmon boss Jeff Fairburn, has acquired private residential property developer Avant Homes.
Fairburn, who is currently chief executive of Berkeley DeVeer, will become chairman of Avant Homes.
Avant currently has 60 live developments being delivered across the Midlands, Yorkshire, North East and Scotland. It delivers around 2,000 homes a year and has a turnover of around £500m a year.
Fairburn, who left his role as chief executive of Persimmon in 2018 following controversy over his £75m bonus, bought a share in Berkeley DeVeer in 2020.
Berkeley DeVeer currently operates across the North East and Yorkshire.
Under its new ownership, Avant Homes will continue to be led by the existing management team. Chief operating officer Mark Mitchell will become CEO on 1 May, replacing Colin Lewis, who will become non-executive deputy chairman.
Fairburn said: “Avant Homes is a fantastic business, with a strong proposition and a compelling track record of growth. It has a high-quality management team that has transformed the business, with an unrivalled focus on building design-led homes in the housing market’s fastest growing regions.”
