RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE : Taylor Woodrow’s Chairman Steps Into Less Active Position

A number of top building industry executives have been playing musical chairs, the result of a recession that has damaged some companies, brought new investors with new ideas into others and put bankers in charge of more than a few.

Gordon Tippell, chairman of British-owned Taylor Woodrow Group’s home-building companies in California and Nevada, is the latest to move, handing over his day-to-day management roles in Newport Beach-based Taylor Woodrow California Ltd. and Taylor Woodrow Nevada Ltd. to the companies’ president, Richard Pope.

Tippell, 54, will continue to hold the title of chairman of the two companies but no longer will serve in an executive capacity.

Officially, Tippell’s change of status was engineered to allow him to concentrate on other obligations, including his role as 1993 president of the Building Industry Assn. of Southern California. But the unofficial word from industry sources is that Tippell’s less active role is part of a corporate restructuring that began 27 months ago when Lord Taylor of Hadfield stepped down as chairman of the worldwide general contracting organization.

In addition, sources say, Tippell and Colin Parsons, who took over as corporate chairman in London in April, don’t like each other very much.

Tippell laughed when asked about all of this and would not comment.

He started with Taylor Woodrow in England in 1968 and spearheaded the company’s California housing business in 1977 and its expansion into Nevada in 1987.

Taylor Woodrow Homes U.S.A. is building more than 400 houses this year in 11 projects in Southern California and Nevada. The company’s Southland projects include four in Laguna Niguel and one in Temecula.

Tim Hamilton, president of Hamilton Consulting in Laguna Niguel, said the management change at Taylor Woodrow U.S.A. “shouldn’t have a negative impact because Gordon structured the companies very well. They are well organized and have strong top management.”