| Type | Public (LSE: UTG) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Student accommodation |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Headquarters | Bristol, United Kingdom |
| Key people | Phil White CBE, (Chairman) Mark Allan (CEO) John Tonkiss (COO) Joe Lister (CFO) |
| Products | Student accommodation (halls of residence) |
| Services | Property investment and development |
| Revenue | £193.4 million (2010)[1] |
| Operating income | £30.4 million (2010)[1] |
| Net income | £21.3 million (2010)[1] |
| Website | www.unite-group.co.uk |
The UNITE Group plc (LSE: UTG) is a British student accommodation company.
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The Company was founded in 1991 by Nicholas Porter, who at that time of increasing student numbers saw an opportunity to make money based on student accommodation.[2] It was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2000.[2]
UNITE is now home to some 36,700 students.[3] Following a restructuring program, UNITE has a regional office in London, with its head office at 'The Core' in Bristol.
In 2004, UNITE introduced a modular manufacturing facility in Stroud, Gloucestershire, called UNITE Modular Solutions (UMS) supplying modular accommodation suites for its own accommodation and external markets such as residential, hotels, leisure, public sector and key worker accommodation. Utilising state-of-the art off-site manufacturing technology, UMS designs, manufactures and constructs fully fitted volumetric modular units to form permanent, multi-storey buildings.
In 2006 UNITE was announced winner of the Management Today and Unisys Service Excellence Awards in the retail and consumer services category.[4]
Booking for the 2008/2009 academic period reached a record 99% occupancy over the portfolio with over 36,700 students living in UNITE properties.[5]
In March 2009, The UNITE Group plc and Connaught plc came together with a joint venture called UCS or UNITE Connaught Services to outsource planned reactive and life cycle maintenance services to UNITE's student accommodation company. [6]