Self-described as “the little man that develops big sheds”, Alan Sarjant joined Kingspark , later part of Prologis, in 1998 after stints at Strutt & Parker & Bryant Properties.
One of the longest serving members of Prologis globally, ‘Sarj’ spent a significant proportion of his time heading Prologis’ leasing and developments in Midlands & North England.
Throughout his distinguished career he has been instrumental in some of the biggest deals ever to hit the market for a huge host of household brands.
A conservative estimate suggests Sarj has delivered over £1bn of new development assets, across both speculative & build-to-suit opportunities. He has been instrumental in securing some of Prologis’ best Midlands parks including Ryton, Midpoint and Hams Hall. He was a trailblazer when it came to helping customers grow internationally, supporting European expansions for Jaguar Land Rover and AO.com.
Beyond Sarj’s extraordinary deal making abilities, his contribution to Prologis can be most seen in the company’s culture, fundraising and social value efforts.
His relentless desire to build & support talent in Prologis is still evident today, where he welcomes new talent with open arms and an offer of mentorship. Much of his groundwork toward an inclusive, diverse culture are reflected by the company’s global values : Integrity, Mentorship, Passion, Accountable, Courage and Teamwork are all words easily associated with Sarj.
Sarj was instrumental in establishing the first Prologis charity cycle challenge over ten years ago, which has since gone on to raise over £340,000 for a host of good causes with the support of Prologis customers, agents and contractors.
One example of Sarj’s innovative approach can be seen in the approach to, and emerging industry adoption of, Social Value – ensuring that Prologis delivers back to the communities it serves through social, economic & environmental measures. Since 2018, Prologis has delivered over £70m in Social Value in no small part thanks to the dedication and leadership Sarj invested in this area.
His most recent development to complete was Jaguar Land Rover’s Logistics Operations Centre – a 1.1m sq ft Class-A, cross-docked facility developed by Prologis to improve the automotive manufacturer’s operations and production resilience at its largest UK manufacturing facility in Solihull.
The complexities of the development and deal structure – on a challenging plot in green belt land, construction during COVID lockdowns in 2020/1, associated manufacturing & supplier delays and associated financial impacts – demonstrate Alan’s invaluable experience and tenacity to get a deal done.
A legend & a true gent, Sarj will soon be settling into a new life of retirement and, for his colleagues at Prologis and his black book of contacts, will be a sorely missed pillar of the industry. And it goes without saying that his “little lunches” with friends, colleagues & customers will be missed just as much.
