October 2019
Discover what lead to the creation of the Willan brand as described by one of our directors, Fiona Willan.
It feels like we’ve been building our entire lives, but my own earliest memory is when we extended the milking parlour back in the day when we were dairy farmers. We’ve come a long way since then, progressing to custom farm buildings, followed by homes for family members, to the deconstruction of large commercial buildings and re-inventing them as new ones.
Many moons and businesses later we directed our full focus on development, starting small, semi-detached houses, expanding into barn and listed building conversions, full on bespoke detached houses, a 63 unit construction in Lancaster, small executive developments in beautiful countryside locations and currently find ourselves standing on a platform that will launch us into multiple larger sites with a home design for everyone.
It was time to start a brand, identify who we are, what makes us different, what drives us, what makes us stand out? Realising our values and beliefs helped us to review our offer and pinpoint our place in the market. Identifying our customer base turned out to be simpler, they look just like us, our family our friends our neighbours, people who want to live in a comfortable space placed in beautiful surroundings.
We wanted our brand to be honest and true to the values that drive us every day. We don’t pretend to be something we’re not, we’re independent, a small family business trying to attract customers looking for something more original, more authentic, more in keeping with what they want for themselves and their family.
One year in we have managed to define our business to ourselves, to our team and to our external audience. Our business identity embodies the very core of not only what we are but who we are.
From our home to yours, welcome home.
Fiona Willan is a Director of Willan Homes and Developments, a family run business now in it’s second generation of builders.
