I started The Hill Group from a tiny lock-up in Dagenham more than 25 years ago. I never imagined we’d end up delivering thousands of homes a year and sitting among the UK’s top ten housebuilders. I launched the business for a simple reason: I thought that if I didn’t give it a go then, I never would. I’d just been made redundant after years in housebuilding, and although a few job offers came my way, none of them felt right. I remember sitting in interviews thinking, “I’ll just be doing the same thing for someone else.” I wanted to do things differently — to build a business rooted in people, quality, and long-term partnerships.
In those early days, creating a £1-billion company didn’t even cross my mind. The goal was to back myself, stay true to my values, and build something I could be proud of. We chose the Dagenham lock-up for its low rent and London phone code, picked up contract housing jobs through old relationships, and got moving. That first 18 months, we turned over £1m. From there, it snowballed.
What hasn’t changed since day one is the ethos: do good work, invest in people, and build strong relationships. We’ve doubled turnover roughly every five years, but the core values remain exactly the same. That consistency is one of the main reasons partners trust us — whether it’s local authorities, housing associations or institutional investors. Today, we’re often described as a specialist JV partner, because our offer goes far beyond delivery. We bring structure, governance, open-book transparency, fixed overheads and an approach built on alignment, not lowest-price contracting. We’re careful who we work with. We want shared objectives, mutual trust and a long-term mindset.
That same philosophy is behind why I think the FMB’s SME Guide is so important. I know firsthand what it’s like to start small, to juggle cashflow, and to rely on your reputation to win the next job. SMEs bring the agility, ambition and diversity our industry depends on. They find and unlock sites the bigger players overlook. They create homes the country desperately needs. If our experience shows anything, it’s that if you back yourself and surround yourself with the right people, you can achieve remarkable things. I want others to see that path and have the confidence to follow it.
Our growth has always been about doing things thoughtfully — whether that’s expanding into build-to-rent to help accelerate placemaking, taking on large regeneration projects, or exploring long-term strategic land opportunities. We’re willing to play the long game when the opportunity is right and we never compromise on quality or values. We adapt our governance to suit partners, we co-invest where it makes sense, and we design homes that match the needs of investors and communities. We have never chased the cheapest tender.
As the business gets bigger, our mindset stays the same: it’s not about being the biggest, it’s about being the best at what we do — thoughtful, reliable, values-led and relentless on quality. Hill has been described as the John Lewis of housebuilding: never knowingly undersold, not the cheapest, but consistent, principled and proud of our people.
Housebuilding is a wonderful industry. Each project creates homes, jobs and opportunities. It’s full of professionals willing to help each other succeed. That’s why I’m optimistic, and why I believe initiatives like the FMB’s SME Developer’s Guide are invaluable. If Hill can go from a one-man start-up in a rented lock-up to a top 10 housebuilder, then so can you.