John Drummond, founder of outlet specialist The Guinea Group, died in July 2009. Although he was one of the best known characters in the UK outlet business, Drummond started out in mainstream property on the occupier’s side of the fence.

Drummond began his career at the John Lewis Partnership, moving on to confectionery manufacturer and retailer Barker & Dobson as group property director.

In the early 1980s, Barker & Dobson set up its own property company looking to exploit opportunities in its 400-strong store portfolio, which included Oakeshott’s supermarkets and the Lewis Meeson CNT chain. The head office was in Bruton Place, Mayfair, and the company was named after the street’s well-known watering hole, The Guinea.

In 1985, Drummond took The Guinea Group private and developed a string of small schemes in Stranraer, Kirkcaldy, Inverness, Newcastle and High Wycombe culminating in the 150,000-sq ft Callendar Square in Falkirk.

In 1994 he became one of the first to import the outlet mall concept from the USA, developing a scheme in Hartlepool, with financial backing from Schroders. He then developed an outlet scheme in Clacton in partnership with Lend Lease, before moving on to his biggest project, Junction One in Antrim developed with Cusp and the Kennedy Group.

The same consortium was responsible for his last project, K Village in Kendal. Drummond had suffered with heart problems for some years and in 2005 underwent a quadruple bypass operation, but this did not slow down his ferocious appetite for property and retail.

Source : www.shopping-centre.co.uk, 02 October, 2009