Robyn Hewson caught up with Karen Hirst, Managing Director of Maple Grove Developments, at Insider's sold out North West Property Awards to hear what it means to win the Property Personality of the Year Award.
00:00Hi I'm Karen Hurst, I'm Managing Director of Maple Grove Developments, part of the Eric Wright Group.
00:20You've just been crowned our property personality every year, so how does it feel?
00:24I'm still shaking, I'm a little bit in shock.
00:27Absolutely didn't expect it, it was so lovely walking up to the stage, just a response from people on the tables, I'm very overwhelmed.
00:36Did you get an inkling when you heard the intro?
00:39When you heard a bit about Salford, there's a lot of people who've been involved in the regeneration of Salford, it's never just one person, it's always a team of people.
00:47And then when you then went on to the other bits, I started to think, hang on a minute, this is sounding a bit familiar.
00:56Brilliant.
00:57And so you didn't expect to win, but why do you feel the judges picked you?
01:01Well I've been in the industry for quite a while.
01:05I feel I have done what it says on the tin and I've actually tried to deliver and do things in all the different places I've worked and all the different businesses I've worked for, not that it's been a huge amount.
01:18It's lovely to get that recognition, I think I'm quite well known in the industry and perhaps that's why they picked me, I don't know.
01:27Fantastic!
01:28You'd have to ask them.
01:29And have you been coming to these awards for a while I presume?
01:32Yes, I have.
01:33I'm not sure if I was at the first one, but I have been to quite a few of the thin side of Property Woods.
01:37And how do you find it as a night, do you enjoy it?
01:39I think it's a great night, I think it's really well organised, you always get an amazing attendance, you've got 103 tables haven't you tonight, so you've got the great and the good from the property industry here.
01:50Fantastic!
01:51And finally, what can we expect to see from you and from Maple Grove in the next year?
01:55Well, we're a small team, but part of a fantastic company and we just want to do more and more good things in the North West, which is our home.
02:04And in Lancashire, we've got Lancashire Central coming forward, obviously Animate, which was highly commended tonight, which is fantastic.
02:12And we've got other projects in Greater Manchester and other things that we're working on, so you'll hear more about those soon, hopefully.
02:19That's what's it well, enjoy the rest of your night and congratulations again, very worthy, worthy.
