GKR Building & Maintenance Co. Ltd has appointed Rachel Humphreys as its Resident Liaison Manager. The Caerphilly-based firm, which last year celebrated its tenth anniversary, has seen its turnover increase from just under £1 million to over £5 million in that time. It is one of the fastest growing maintenance service providers in South Wales and has an impressive client base that covers social housing organisations, retail and commercial.  

Rachel, 31, from Cardiff is responsible for liaising with residents of Wales and West Housing Association, which is one of GKR’s major clients - they upgrade approximately 500 kitchens and 400 bathrooms each year to WHQS. As a new concept, GKR has a mobile display unit which travels to every new scheme. Residents are invited on board to view kitchen and bathroom suites and choose their colour schemes and styles. It is also used as a base where Rachel and her colleagues can answer any questions residents may have about work being done in their homes.

Before joining GKR, Rachel was part of the Intake and Assessment Team with Cardiff Children’s Services. She was educated in Cardiff and gained her degree in Graphic Communication at the University of Glamorgan. She says of her new role: “Before joining GKR I had been undertaking a lot of freelance design roles, but my approaching wedding and the desire to change career direction, led me to apply for the position at GKR. My new role enables me to involve myself in projects from the consultation stage, before the work on their home starts, to completion of the major works. This gives me the opportunity to get to know the residents and answer any queries they have throughout the upgrade process. I also liaise with Wales and West Housing Association to report on progress. I am thriving on the challenges of the job and enjoy seeing the end results in people’s homes.” 

Jayne Rowland-Evans, GKR Director says: “Rachel’s first-hand experience of being able to effectively liaise with people and her knowledge of design provides a perfect balance for the role. We are really pleased to have someone of her calibre on the team. Wales and West Housing Association is a major client and requires 100% effort from the GKR team at all times – Rachel has fitted in extremely well.”