to clients. Mansell, WS Atkins and Drake & Scull are in the process of setting up a so-called 鈥渧irtual company鈥�, to be called Prop.com.
The business will offer everything from office design to construction and facilities management. Another two companies, as yet unnamed, are expected to join the venture later.
A Mansell manager is likely to head the operation from a an office in London. The firms decided to set up Prop.com after joining up to bid for BT鈥檚 Project Jaguar, the 拢160m deal to take on the facilities management of BT鈥檚 property portfolio. The consortium did not make it on to the shortlist.
Although the finer details of the operation have yet to be thrashed out, Mansell chief executive David Beardsmore described Prop.com as a 鈥渨hole new way of working鈥�. He added: 鈥淲e鈥檙e not talking takeovers; we鈥檙e talking alliances. It鈥檚 taking forward the Egan initiative by bringing companies together to make efficiency gains.鈥�
One key aspect of Prop.com is that it will 鈥渢otally IT driven鈥�, said Beardsmore. The different arms of the company are to be linked by computer, and will communicate only by e-mail 鈥� although it will not necessarily trade over the Internet.
Beardsmore said Prop.com would be launched within the next few weeks. 鈥淲e are starting to look for customers. We are looking for organisations that want to look after their property in every respect.鈥�
Beardsmore said forming strategic alliances was the way ahead for his privately owned 拢213m turnover company, rather than a listing on the stock exchange.
He said: 鈥淔lotation is mission impossible at the moment. Forming strategic alliances is the way forward, given the lack of sentiment towards construction [in the City]. Arguably, a venture like Prop.com will make the company more appealing in due course.鈥�
Mansell鈥檚 takeover of listed social housing specialist YJ Lovell fell apart in December 1998. Lovell sold its social housing arm to Morgan Sindall last year. But Beardsmore said Mansell now plans to step up its social housing work by setting up a specialist division.
