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Office News
THE ENGINEERING and environmental consultancy BWB has made Nottingham its flagship presence in the East Midlands with a move into a prestige office complex in the Southside professional quarter.
The firm, which has been a key player in the construction of a series of commercial landmarks, has taken the fifth floor at Waterfront House, the Grade A office complex which forms part of Waterfront Plaza, the mixed use scheme built by the Northern Ireland developer McAleer & Rushe. They leased the 8,650 sq ft suite in a deal secured for them by John Proctor, of the Nottingham property consultancy FHP, and James Hall, of Geo Hallam & Sons, who acted for the landlord, law firm Shoosmiths.
BWB has been in business 21 years and is now the largest privately-owned integrated engineering and environmental consultancy in the East Midlands. It has a 90-strong team working at Waterfront Plaza, one of a network of offices which also takes in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. In total, the £10.5m-turnover business employs 140 people. They deliver a range of integrated engineering services centred around the built environment, transportation and infrastructure, and environmental sectors.
Steve Wooler, the Managing Director of BWB Consulting, said: “The past few years have been a period of great change for the industry, but BWB Consulting has come out of it in a strong position and ready to expand. We went through a management buy-out in 2008, we have completed a successful refinancing, and the move from our old home in the Lace Market into a state-of-the-art environment in Nottingham’s emerging professional district makes a bold statement about our ambitions.
“We have a talented team which understands the complexities of development all the way from drawing board to handover, and we have invested in a professional environment which will help us to deliver what we believe is a large company capability with a small company service ethic.”
BWB Consulting has been a key partner in a series of landmark projects locally, regionally and nationally – among them a new training ground scheme for Premiership giants Manchester City. It was part of the team behind The Cornerhouse and Trinity Square in Nottingham, The Roundhouse in Derby, the School of Law & Business at De Montfort University, and the £150m Trinity Walk development in Wakefield.
“We are in a market where we compete with both national and international businesses and we have demonstrated over the years an approach which has earned BWB considerable respect,” said Mr Wooler. “But this is a challenging climate and no one can afford to rest on their laurels. We have got some exciting growth targets for the business both at home and abroad, but the one thing that won’t change is our commitment to delivering real value for our clients.”
He added: “Our move into Waterfront House is all about supporting our long-term ambitions. It offers us not only the right kind of office environment, but a location which puts us in the best position to make the most of the upcoming investment in Nottingham’s transport infrastructure. Nottingham City Council’s decision to move to Loxley House put some real momentum into the Southside as a professional quarter, and the expansion of the railway station and tram will make it easier for both staff and clients to take advantage of one of the most integrated transport systems in the country.”
BWB Consulting joins a raft of professional names in Waterfront House, including corporate law firm Shoosmiths, the expanding financial services business Ikano and the customer logistics division of Coca Cola Enterprises – the exclusive licensee for The Coca Cola Company’s beverages in Britain, parts of mainland Europe and Scandinavia.
FHP director John Proctor acted for BWB Consulting in the letting of the fifth floor at Waterfront House. He says the building provides an almost ideal location for a professional services business, with excellent facilities combining with a well-connected position.
John Proctor commented: “Southside is becoming established as Nottingham’s central business district, and the presence of major professional names like BWB in Waterfront House is a testament to its long-term logic as a commercial location. It is within walking distance of Nottingham city centre, alongside the railway station with its connections to London, and the expansion of the tram means that it will be directly linked to the ng2 Business Park and beyond within only a few years.
“BWB Consulting is a widely-respected name in the construction and development industry. Waterfront House provides it with the kind of high-quality, open-plan environment which fits in with its ambitions to expand. As the economy picks up, I would expect many more businesses to want to take advantage of this kind of location, which bodes well for Southside’s future.”
Waterfront House comprises 75,000 sq ft of Grade A office space ranged over nine floors. It is part of McAleer & Rushe’s wider Waterfront Plaza scheme, which also features the 14-storey, 264 bedroom Jurys Inn Hotel, and The Atrium, where 107 apartments are ranged around an open, water-fronted square.
BWB Consulting has leased the fifth floor in Waterfront House from corporate law firm Shoosmiths, which has its regional headquarters in the building. Shoosmiths’ Partner Deborah Gordon Brown said: “We were among the first businesses to move into Waterfront House and it has been the perfect platform for us to serve clients and support our own culture. I’m delighted to welcome BWB to the building and I know it will help them to achieve their ambitions.”
Shoosmiths was advised in the deal by James Hall, of the Nottingham property agency Geo Hallam & Sons. He commented: “Besides the infrastructure investments in the tram and the railway station, a number of new commercial and leisure developments are planned for the Southside area. They reflect the fact that it is one of the best-placed business locations in Nottingham, and this was a key factor in BWB Consulting’s decision to locate here.”