Personal Recollections of “My Early Rand Years” by Richard Holliday (retired former Director)
In 2025, Rand Associates celebrates 50 years of successfully providing Consultancy Services to Local Authorities and Housing Associations throughout the UK. However, working in that sector was not why I was taken on in the first place.
So, what is my story?
Rand Associates was formed in 1975 by Alan Rand. I joined in May of 1975 following a five-hour alcohol-fuelled interview with Alan in a South London restaurant. We must have gelled as much to my surprise, and delight, I was offered a job. On my first day I went to the office which comprised 3 rooms in what I think was once a stable block in the yard of a building contractor in Reigate, Surrey. This was quite a contrast after the mega offices of my previous employer but as Alan remarked “who needs offices when everyone works on sites”.
Rand were then providing on-site surveying, planning services, estimates and tenders for Lambeth Council. Their Direct Labour Organisation in those days was the “contractor” for numerous large new social housing contracts for the Council. Rand recruited highly skilled surveyors and support staff to work on these projects. The years that followed saw those services and client base expand, with numerous social housing providers utilising Rand’s services.
Beyond the Local Authority work in the UK, Alan Rand had developed contacts with construction companies in the Middle East where new construction was progressing swiftly – fuelled by the enormous oil revenues. The region lacked the financial and contractual expertise as provided by Quantity Surveyors, very much a UK discipline. Rand Associates filled this void and provided on site surveying and project planning services for major projects in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. I was taken on to support this work and to prepare claims arising from any disputes that arose on contracts, both in the Middle East and the UK.
After just a few weeks since joining I found myself in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, working for a Dutch company who had a contract for the installation of new sewers, drainage and service mains. Riyadh at that time was nothing like it is now – a small town with a small airport, very little housing or office development and construction everywhere. One recollection was having to run for cover if outside at midday when the crop spraying aircraft sprayed the whole city with foul smelling DDT to keep down the flies etc. Oh what fun!
This initial project resulted in numerous visits to their Amsterdam offices which led to an excellent long standing working relationship. The work was wide and varied but mainly comprised the preparation of tenders for primarily heavy civil engineering projects. Staff from both the Reigate and Birkenhead offices were also extensively involved, both in the UK and in Amsterdam.
Personally, it resulted in extensive overseas travel, and I worked in such places as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, Indonesia, Argentina, Trinidad, Germany and a 6 month assignment in San Diego, California. My final overseas stint was a 2-3 year secondment in Amsterdam to their Contract’s Department providing contractual advice identifying potential risks and pitfalls relating to worldwide projects. For all who were significantly involved including Steve Downing, Peter Gamble and the many other staff past and present it signified the end of an enjoyable era. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have worked in such countries and to experience such a wide variety of interesting projects.
In between my overseas work I was also working in the UK in the Local Authority/Housing Association sector ultimately leading to the NHF Schedule of Rates. David Miller had produced a number of Schedules of Rates for Local Authorities and these formed the backbone of what was to become the NHF Schedule of Rates. My role was to liaise with the Housing Associations that commissioned what became the NHF Schedule of Rates to ensure that what we produced met with their strict requirements.
The NHF Schedule of Rates has proved to be an outstanding success; it enhanced the presence of Rand Associates and the services it can provide, resulting in the Rand becoming one of the leading Social Housing Consultancies in the UK today.