Forces veteran opens new agency near military base

A former marine is the franchise holder of a brand new Belvoir office close to a famous military base in south east Devon.

Tom Cartwright is opening a new franchise in Exmouth, Devon - close to the Lympstone Commando marine base - after buying @Home Estate and Lettings Agent and rebranding it to Belvoir.

Belvoir Group chief executive Dorian Gonsalves says: “We are very pleased to welcome Tom to the Belvoir network and wish him every success in opening this hot start office in a new territory. Tom is clearly an individual with huge drive and determination, and I am sure will be great asset to brand Belvoir.

“Tom expressed an interest in joining Belvoir some time ago, and our Acquisition Team helped him to source a great independent business that he has now rebranded to Belvoir and opened as a hot start office. This is a fantastic way for a new business owner to hit the ground running, and just one of the ways that Belvoir is expanding into new territories throughout the UK. We are also looking for business owners who would like to rebrand their own independent businesses to Belvoir and I would encourage anyone who is interested to contact our Acquisition Team for more information.”

Speaking of his new business venture, Cartwright says: “Prior to joining Belvoir I was a chef and then joined the Royal Marine Band and served 15 years. I was also an ambulance driver in Afghanistan and achieved the rank of Drum Major in the Band service. 

“In 2020 I caught Covid and ended up with blood clots in my shoulder and a pulmonary embolism. Treatment took about a year, and I was left with quite severe long Covid symptoms (although I somehow still managed to run a marathon during that time!). I was medically discharged and took on a job managing a small hotel. I realised I was pretty good at this and decided I wanted to run my own business.”

The previous owner is staying on as a consultant for a while, and Cartwright will be joined by his wife Emma in the new company.

“Belvoir Exmouth is a great opportunity, and as I’ve been a landlord and tenant over the years, I have personal experience of how bad the service can sometimes be, so I’m able to put myself into our clients’ shoes, which I hope will come across to our new and existing customers” concludes Cartwright.