TWO of the best known commercial agencies in the Thames Valley have merged.

Marlow-based rivals Slater Associates and Deriaz Commercial joined forces as Deriaz Slater Commercial on June 1.

The new team of ten working from the Deriaz offices at 60 Station Road is headed by three directors Lance Slater, Paul Deriaz and Jon Sworn.

"As senior surveyors with complementary practices, we saw a merger as a way of ensuring continuity for our agency and clients and to strengthen and broaden the services we provide," said Mr Slater.

"We shall continue to concentrate our agency and development work across Berks, Bucks and Oxon, principally within the Slough, High Wycombe, Reading triangle."

Deriaz Commercial was set up about five years ago, having previously operated as Deriaz Mitson.

Lance Slater, who has lived in the Wycombe area more than 25 years, established his Marlow-based agency in 1990 after lengthy experience at partnership level in London practices and latterly with a major firm in Reading.

Paul Deriaz began his career as a town planner based in Egham, Surrey. Later he joined a local development company in Bourne End where he was involved with a number of commercial and residential sites.

Jon Sworn has nearly 30 years' experience in the property industry. He spent 20 years with Hammerson where, as a director, he was responsible for running the UK investment portfolio valued at more than £1 billion, split between major shopping centres and prime office buildings.

The coming together of experienced professionals in the new venture will provide flexibility and speed of response say the directors.

"In the property business you simply can't afford cumbersome strucutres and hierarchites because people need a quick and efficient service says Paul Deriaz, whose clients include Cisco, Oracle and HMV.