IF IT MATTERS TO YOU, IT MATTERS TO US
Meet The Team
Meet the team who pour their heart and soul into building your home.
The Family
Managing Director
Stephen Byram is the founder of SB Homes and remains involved in every aspect of the business, from building dry stone walls, to weekly team meetings, sales and planning applications. His specialism is carefully selecting the right sites for us to build on and having an instinct about how to build it from an engineering perspective.
He is focussed on driving the business forward and encouraging his daughters to take it through its next phase.
If you find him working on site, stop him for a chat – he loves speaking to people about what he’s working on.
A fact about him: He’s climbed Mont Blanc and completed treks in Nepal
His favourite place in the Colne Valley: “Between Cupwith and March Haigh reservoirs above Marsden; it’s a beautiful quiet spot with amazing views of Wessenden and Deer Hill. You hardly ever see anyone, it’s so peaceful and my mind clears when I’m up there.”
Director
Rachael is the backbone of the family. No matter what crazy ideas Stephen has had at 5am in the morning – like buying an old mill at just 33 with three children under six – she has always said “OK” and supported him through it.
Whilst she’s not as involved in the day-to-day running of the business as she used to be, she’s still a huge part of our decision making and family support. She’s not afraid to get stuck in, whether it’s cleaning a plot for handover day, or baking cake for the office to keep us all going. We’d be nowhere without her.
A fact about her: She had her own shop, selling health foods, supplements & Ecover before they were popular
Her favourite place in the Colne Valley: “On a nice day, there’s nowhere better than Hemplow. You’ve got tennis, cricket, bowling, golf and football in one spot. It’s a great atmosphere.”
Operations and Finance Director
“After graduating university with a law degree in 2012, I joined our team over the summer until I decided what my next step would be. Fast forward 11 years and I’m still here.
“To start with it was just very much a case of watch and learn. But I soon became involved in all aspects of the business and after a few years became a director. My role over the years has been wide ranging to include finance, sales and general business operations.
“I work closely with our team to ensure we deliver a quality product and it’s important for me that we keep getting better and to ensure we always deliver a home we would be happy to live in ourselves.
“In recent times, my sisters have joined me in the business and I am excited to see in the next few years how we can use our different skill sets to push the business forward.”
A fact about her: Sophie used to take part in singing competitions. Today, she’s a keen netballer and has just passed her netball umpire exams.
Sales Director
“I officially joined SB Homes as sales director in 2023. Having owned and run other businesses, alongside having supported SB Homes’ marketing and sales, I’m excited to use my experience to help SB Homes to grow.
“As sisters, we are so incredibly proud of what our parents have achieved. They are our inspiration. I’m very aware that they have kept the company going for us, and I feel that it’s my personal duty to look after it for future generations – it’s my drive.
“I see SB Homes expanding its team, building more homes each year, and I look forward to launching more luxury, prestige homes.”
A fact about her: She’s been a business owner since 2017, doing PR and owning/running Empire House
Her favourite place in the Colne Valley: “I love sitting outside Empire House on Lewisham Road in Slaithwaite. In the summer, our outside space is a sun trap. You can look up, through the trees, the buildings and the mills, and approximately 2 miles away you can see SB Homes’ development, Hollin Gate nestled in the distance. It’s really special.”
Director of Rentals
“Day in and day out, I handle our residential and commercial rentals and holiday let properties. I’m a people person at heart and find great satisfaction in helping our clients and tenants have the best experience possible.
“Working with my family can be a challenge, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. We’re a tight-knit family and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Together, we’ve achieved amazing things at SB Homes and I’m excited about the bright future ahead of us!
“When I go to work each morning, I feel grateful to be working with my family and our great colleagues at SB Homes. The thought of helping people find their perfect home or holiday getaway is extremely satisfying.”
A fact about her: She has her own sheep and is also a qualified tennis coach and bushcraft teacher
Her favourite place in the Colne Valley: “Pule Hill in Marsden. Not only am I lucky enough to look out of my window everyday and see it, it’s also the place my partner proposed to me. It will be forever a special place to me.”
“To build the best homes, you need the best team. That’s what we have”
Meet The Team
Our Extended Family
Many of our team have worked with us for the duration of SB Homes’ lifetime.
We wouldn’t be where we are without them. Meet our team below.
Steve Mitchell
Designer
Jack Davies
Site Manager
Becki Schofield
Office Manager
Ryan Clifford
Decorator
Mark Seal
Stone Mason
Ian Winterbottom
Electrician
Cain Shaw
Plasterer
Jamie Mawson
Builder
Todd Corbett
Joiner
Tom Hampshire
Stone Mason
Kyle Hay
Plasterer
Duncan Campbell
Plasterer
Pat Lockwood
Plasterer
Richard Kinder
Plumber
Dean Smith
Tiler
John Walker
Ground worker
Dean Byram
Joiner
Andrew Winterbottom
Electrician
Jesse Pearce
Bricklaying apprentice
BOTTLING OUR SPIRIT
Why We Differ
As a small house builder, we have ‘fire in our belly’ — we are entrepreneurial, creative, and flexible.
As a local, family-run business, we employ local tradesmen and designers, and work with local planning to ensure we blend our developments seamlessly with their surroundings.
This adaptability means we’re able to submit new site plans that better suit the environment and individual house plans when our clients want to make external or internal changes. Plus, we contribute to our local economy and community.
We’re in tune with the areas that we develop in, meaning that the homes we build are unique to their environment and widely respected by local people.
Key Dates
1997
SB Homes was founded by Stephen Byram, aged just 31, after years in the construction industry and having already won a Federation of Master Builders Award.
1999
SB Homes took on its first major development, buying Clough Lea Mills in Marsden, owned by Belgian firm, Bailley Ancion. In 1946, the managing director, J D Bailly, was appointed Belgian consul for the West Riding of Yorkshire – making Marsden home of the Belgian Consulate.
1999
Today, we have a fleet of machines, but in 1999 we bought our first piece of machinery. It was a proud moment.
2000
Stephen spent 12 months pulling the mill down by hand. A former employer of 200 people, the site was fascinating. We even found a Belgian Coat of Arms!
2003
In 2003, we finished the 80-home development. The residents in the apartments have beautiful views over the landscaped millpond, which is home to an abundance of wildlife.
2003-07
By 2003, Marsden was becoming a bustling, thriving village, and homes were in-demand by local families and people moving into the area. They couldn’t be built quick enough.
Stephen purchased his next big 80-home development, Deer Hill, built between 2003-07. Up until this point, SB Homes didn’t even have a logo. It had built such a reputation, that it hadn’t needed one.
But a very kind client was a designer and offered to create a logo for free – it stayed with us until 2023 and holds a special place in our heart.
2003
In 2003, we had our first ever logo, designed by a client. It stayed with us until 2023.
2005
Packhorse Court, built in 2005, sits in the centre of Marsden and its residents enjoy prime access to the village’s amenities and restaurants.
2008
It was the year of the Global Recession.
Nevertheless, we built 5 individual houses that sit in stunning greenbelt land above Marsden. ‘The Coach House’, previously a public house, was converted into 4 homes and a bungalow, which have unobstructed views of Marsden moorland.
2010
Ancion Court is a purpose-built community for people aged over 55. The 14 apartments were designed and built in 2010 to a Code-4 specification, as part of a sustainable and energy-efficient home scheme.
2012
SB Homes became a true family business, when Stephen’s eldest daughter, Sophie joined the business in 2012. Straight from university, with a law degree, Sophie was determined to make a success of her role.
2015
We bought Old Bank Works, which was once home to a joiner’s workshop, and the building was converted into modern living space.
2016
Daughter Amy became involved in the business, alongside her own endeavours, working in the show home and taking care of our marketing.
2017
Empire Works was another landmark development, with 70 homes individually designed on the canalside in Slaithwaite, Huddersfield.
2017
We hosted a charity ball, marking 20 years in business. We raised £22,000, shared equally between Kirkwood Hospice and Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice.
2020
The year the pandemic hit. We made the decision to keep building, and even hit the headlines for managing to keep our sites going whilst social distancing.
2020
We built Olney Street, a small, one-off site of just two, high-quality, semi-detached 4-bedroom homes.
We also transformed the former Swan pub into a thriving hub of six commercial units to rent, and made headway with our Station House development.
2021
Our founder Steve was filmed for BBC News to discuss the construction market labour shortages and the impact it was having on housebuilding. He discussed the importance of encouraging more women into the industry.
2021
Station House was a former fire station, which had closed years prior to being bought by Byram Property Group in 2017. It had become an eyesore. We bought it and turned it into a build-to-rent scheme, offering affordable, accessible homes on long-term tenancies to local people aged 55+.
2021
Empire House was Slaithwaite’s Old Town Hall. For 30 years, the building had been offices. Recognising the need for local collaborative spaces, and following the pandemic, the need for somewhere to escape the working-from-home model, Empire House was born.
Now, it is a part-time home to almost 75 freelancers, business owners and directors, who benefit from the social and networking element.
2021
In 2021, we started building Hollin Gate, a collection of luxury detached homes in Linthwaite.
2022
We launched a discount scheme for emergency services workers to thank them for all their hard work.
2023
We gained planning permission for a 42-home development in Slaithwaite, at Lingards Road.
2023
Today, we truly are a family business. Sophie is operations and finance director, Amy is sales director and Hannah is head of rentals, working together to drive the business forward. With Stephen being one of nine siblings, we have a large extended family, and two of his brothers and several nephews also work in the business.
Sophie and Hannah’s partners are also involved, and we all share the same vision of passing it to the next generation.
The Colne Valley is part of our DNA and will always be, and as a family, we promise to uphold the intricacies that make it different from the next valley.
SB Homes is part of the Byram Property Group.
