Record year and a new brand for CWHB

Cushman & Wakefield Healey & Baker (CWHB) saw its turnover rise by 28 percent in 2005 to Ł165 (zł.921) million, with profits soaring by 61 percent.

CWHB is the EMEA division of Cushman & Wakefield, the world's largest privately-owned real estate adviser, and CWHB accounts for 23 percent of the firm's global revenues.

This year the firm plans to open several new associate offices in Europe, and it is also entering Russia with the acquisition of its associate office, Cushman & Wakefield Stiles & Riabokobylko. This is the largest full service real-estate adviser in the country.

The firm also increased the number of people it employs in EMEA by 179 in 2005, taking the total to 1,530 people in 23 offices.

From March 13, the company is also stripping back its name and realigning its branding with the rest of the global firm. From then on CWHB will be simply Cushman & Wakefield.

"We are looking to double our turnover and profits in Europe over the next five years and we will continue to take market share as the industry becomes increasingly divided between the big, global players like ourselves and the niche firms," said John Travers, senior partner and chief executive office of Cushman & Wakefield's EMEA operations.

The firm has also put together a new section to focus on the hotels sector. Cushman & Wakefield Hotels (incorporating RHI Hotels) will provide development services, management agreement negotiation and evaluations, particularly in the resort and mixed-use sectors. It will focus on the EMEA hotel market.