Published: 18/03/2022 By Lacy Scott & Knight
Chris Philpot joined RC Knight & Sons 40 years ago, as a Chartered Surveyor, working his way up to partner and remaining in that position when the company merged to become Lacy Scott & Knight in 1997.With Chris retiring as senior partner this month, though continuing as a consultant, he reflects on his five decades working in the sector.
I joined RC Knight & Sons in 1982 from another local firm. They were a long-established firm in Stowmarket and had a very good reputation.
I started off doing residential surveys, something I still do to this very day, and worked my way up to become a partner in 1984 working from our office in Stowmarket.
When we merged with Lacy Scott & Sons in 1997, I continued as a partner. It was a very natural merger as both companies were the same style of firm.
I have always enjoyed the variety of work and also the local atmosphere of mid Suffolk, where I have always worked. I felt it was a big enough firm to offer a good range of services, but small enough to always provide a personal touch to our clients. When I am asked what has been the biggest change in the sector over the last 40 years, I must say the expansion of the digital age; printing, photographs, mobile phones, and even my faithful tape measure is now a digital laser.
Aligning these digital advances while continuing to offer our personal and professional service is something we always strive to achieve for our customers and I think Lacy Scott & Knight strike that balance well. Of course, there have been ups and downs in the housing market over the last 40 years. But with the different aspects of the business we have remained strong throughout all that time, even during the pandemic.
The last two years has forced everyone to sit back and assess their lifestyle and we realise how many more people now want to live in this lovely part of the country. Both Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket and their surrounding areas, have a lot going for them while also still having huge potential.
It is an industry I would always recommend to young people looking for a rewarding career; it can be high pressure but you are working with local people and with a good mix between being inside and outside the office.
I am looking forward to my retirement. I am 65 years old and I think it is the right time to give the young people in the business a chance to step up while supporting in a consultancy role.
When I look back over the last 40 years, I am particularly fond of the fact that I have served different generations of the same families – sometimes three generations. It is a huge testimony to how we operate our business that different members of those families keep coming back to us. We have always offered a good personal and professional service and I am sure that will continue in the years to come.
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