Woodbourne Associates Ltd.'s executive vice-president and chief quantity surveyor Paul Lowry has announced his retirement from full-time work after 50 years in the profession.

Mr. Lowry, who will continue in the capacity of a part-time consultant and is the last original director still working for the company, said he decided the time was right to to relinquish some of his day-to day duties and enjoy more time on the golf course and travelling.

In his role as consultant, he will be focusing on arbitration, insurance assessments and valuation work, while continuing to mentor the other quantity surveyors in the firm, working three days a week.

Having spent the first seven years of his career training and working for a contractor in the UK, Mr. Lowry, who is originally from north of Birmingham, came to Bermuda to work for Geoffrey Bird and Company on a two-year contract but ended up staying 43 years.

Thirty-two years ago Geoffrey Bird merged with Outerbridge and Redmond to form Woodbourne Associates Ltd. and during his time at the company Mr. Lowry climbed the ranks to the position of chief surveyor, becoming more focused on evaluations and arbitrations in relation to buildings.

He has also taken the company's two Bermudian quantitative surveyors under his wing and will be responsible for their two-year post qualification training prior to their registration.

Mr. Lowry attributes versatility as the secret to his success, having acquired all the skills in the UK and been able to put them to good use in Bermuda.

"In Bermuda you are like a big fish in a small pond," he said.

"Sixteen years ago I was the only quantitative surveyor and now there are quite a number of them.

"In the UK you may specialise in two out of nine subjects, but here you may be considered an expert in all subjects."

Among his proudest achievements were the development of a computer programme that measures prices of Bermuda water tanks in a couple of seconds, and seeing a number of budding young Bermudian quantitative surveyors pass through the company under his tutelage, including Alex DeCouto, owner and president of Greymane Contracting Ltd. and former president of the Construction Association of Bermuda.

Mr. Lowry boasts an impressive track record as the past president of the Bermuda Association of Surveyors, past chairman of the Alliance of the Construction Industry, past member of the Professional Surveyors Registration Council and past council Member of the Bermuda National Trust.