The fall of Fish and the rise of Whyte

It’s a rotten time to be in construction right now. Unless, of course, your name is Chek Whyte.
Just over a week ago, I was listening to a senior figure in a Notts construction company wearily reeling off the list of challenges facing the industry at the moment.
It was miserable stuff: cancelled building contracts, falling property values, rising material costs, delays in getting paid, and jittery banks.
On top of that the Office of Fair Trading was sniffing around, naming and shaming firms all over the county for allegedly rigging bids on public sector contracts.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Thomas Fish, the oldest name in the business round here, then goes bang.
So, it’s not exactly a laugh-a-minute in construction.
Unless, of course, your name is Chek Whyte. I suspect there might just be the flickerings of a satisfied smile on Whyte’s face right now.
Why? Let’s look at the background first. This is a man who had a troubled family upbringing (some of it in foster homes) and a chequered business career (he was banned from being a director in the 90s after an earlier business failed).
And now? Now, he’s a millionaire, with a millionaire lifestyle built on a track record of spotting smart opportunities (like turning the dismal Braidwood Court into cost-effective apartments), tackling projects others won’t (like renovating Colwick Hall) and being a tough cookie.
This is a man who is not above driving to his building sites in the wee small hours just to see the look on the site manager’s face when he realises the boss got there before him.
A month or so ago, I sat round a table with him and asked him upfront why any hard-headed businessman would ever want to put up a skyscraper – a notoriously expensive way to build.
Whyte’s explanation for his proposed 600ft Whyte Tower in Sneinton was short, blunt, and spoke volumes about his personal motivation: “Why would I wanna to do it? Cos I want to, that’s why.”
Whether it is architectural disdain or something else, there are some people who still don’t seem to take Chek Whyte seriously.
No one should under-estimate his determination. While others have fallen by the wayside, the foster lad from Ilkeston who grafted on building sites and ruffled some feathers along the way now owns Thomas Fish.