Even by Yiannakis Polycarpou's ambitions as a humble electrician in 1970s London, he has come a long way. His family-owned business Polyteck is now a £30 million turnover, with offices in London and Dubai, and a 150-strong workforce.
Yet, Mr Polycarpou remains a "feet-on-the-ground" entrepreneur with a sharp enquiring mind and carries a lesson from his auntie back in his homeland Cyprus when, among the olive groves, she taught him as a child that: "Land is scarce. Own land, and you can't go wrong."
He took this abiding memory with him when he moved to London, became an electrician, and then adopted its full meaning and his love for property by launching Polyteck in 2005. Over time, Polyteck evolved in several directions and allowed the company to close the circle of the perfect business model - construction, facility management and maintenance.
Polyteck has grown stronger and larger, seeing success in the public and private markets with an excellent team that satisfies every need in facilities management, engineering and construction, such as building services, electrical services, life safety, ancillary, HVAC services, maintenance, and more.
With a vast and diverse portfolio, the company can proudly showcase some of London's most elite buildings. Polyteck is a building services company with offices in London, UAE, Qatar and Bulgaria. Clients include local authorities, landlords, facilities maintenance and consulting engineers.
As chairman of Polyteck and his engineer son, Mr Polycarpou asserts that to have a property selected, not just as a home but as an investment, requires distinctive skills.
He added: "We are an ambitious, visionary company. The group has always embraced changes and thrives on innovation, continuous improvement, and best practices.
He cited several guiding factors in choosing the most suitable investments - long-term potential value, diverse capabilities of his own company, working with the best experts, a trained team, and constantly developing.
His disruptive approaches led to more innovation in the business, enabling Polyteck to become one of the first London-based construction and facilities management businesses to accept cryptocurrency payments.
In Forbes, he is quoted as saying: "Our business has always been a progressive organization. We never stop looking for new ways to serve our clients in innovative ways. Our decision to accept cryptocurrency as payment was driven by a desire to provide faster, more reliable, and more secure options in an industry where payment speed is often much too slow."
