North-east entrepreneur James Barrack is to receive a business leadership gong at the ninth annual Scottish Property Awards next week.
Mr Barrack is the chairman and founder of Aberdeen-based Knight Property Group.
His award is in recognition of his contribution to Scottish real estate, business and local communities.
It comes as he celebrates 35 years in business.
He launched Knight in 1987 and has since driven its growth and development across the logistics, office, industrial and trade counter sectors.
Scottish expansion
Knight has also expanded is operations to the central belt, with a particular interest in Edinburgh.
In 2009 Mr Barrack founded his own charitable trust to assist organisations cope with a downturn in donations due to the economic climate faced at the time.
The trust and Knight have donated more than £1.5 million to around 200 registered charities all over Scotland.
Mr Barrack’s business leadership award, sponsored by Bank of Scotland, will be presented before 700 professionals from the property sector at a ceremony at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Glasgow on Wednesday March 30.
Caroline Snowden, managing director of private groups, real estate and housing, Bank of Scotland, said: “Congratulations to James Barrack and the team at Knight Property Group for all their achievements and in receiving this highly regarded award.”
Business life beginnings
Mr Barrack’s entrepreneurial roots are to be found in a family business called JGB Group which he joined when he left school with “just three O levels” in 1985.
The firm, which was later sold to engineering group Motherwell Bridge, was essentially a haulage contractor, but also involved in a range of other industries such as printing, property, plant and labour hire.
Mr Barrack’s time was spent initially learning about different functions of the business in a range of labouring, accounts, purchase and sales roles.
He stayed with the firm for two years before he and his father, Hamish, left to start Chess Group, trading primarily in property and related work.
