Charleston, SC – August 14, 2007 – DPS Sporting Club Development, LLC, the company behind the Sporting Club brand of ultra-luxury resort home communities, has opened a London sales office to simplify the purchase process for the ever-growing number of upscale Europeans buying into the properties. Matthew Clapp has joined the company as its sales and marketing executive for the European region.
“We’ve had amazing interest across the U.K. and the European Union from discerning consumers interested in living the Sporting Life, particularly at our property in the Turks and Caicos, which is a British overseas territory,” said Peter Pollak, one of the company’s two managing partners. “Matthew is a Londoner who speaks fluent French and is well traveled, so he understands the market and the clientele. We’re excited to have him represent the Sporting Clubs in Europe.”
Clapp holds an MBA from Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College (Winter Park, FL) and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Reading (England). He joins DPS from Mergermarket, a financial data services provider, where he was sales manager for the U.K. and Nordic regions. Prior to that he was sales manager overseeing six teams for Carrington Fox, an executive placement agency.
Turks & Caicos’ political ties to England make the country an easy choice for Brits seeking to holiday in the Caribbean. It’s also easily reached by weekly flights from Heathrow, connecting through Miami or The Bahamas. The Sporting Club at Ambergris Cay, an 1,110-acre private island community in Turks & Caicos, is a natural for those searching for a vacation residence in the Caribbean. The property was even named “Best Caribbean Property of the Year” (2006) by Caribbean World, the United Kingdom’s leading consumer magazine covering the region.
But Pollak says interest in the company’s other properties — The Greenbrier Sporting Club in West Virginia and the Snake River Sporting Club in Jackson Hole, Wyoming — helped the company commit to the European market.
“These clubs have a certain ‘classic Americana’ air about them that’s very appealing to buyers from other countries who want to own part of that mystique,” said Pollak. “The Greenbrier Sporting Club is adjacent to and affiliated with the Greenbrier resort, a true piece of American history. The Snake River Sporting Club is in the heart of the Old West. There is no bigger American icon than the cowboy. I’m confident that we will continue to generate significant sales for all our properties.”
DPS Sporting Club Development Company, LLC creates private sporting communities on historic properties, with a commitment to preserving each property’s distinct character and environment. The company’s properties take maximum advantage of the natural setting, while providing five-star service and outdoor activities for all ages and skill levels. The award-winning DPS Sporting Club collection includes The Ford Plantation in Georgia, Deep Water Cay Club on Grand Bahama Island, The Greenbrier Sporting Club in West Virginia, Turks & Caicos Sporting Club at Ambergris Cay in the British West Indies and Snake River Sporting Club in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. For more about the Sporting Life, visit www.dpsdevelopment.co.uk The London office can be reached at 44 (0) 2076228055.