As the seventh largest building society in the UK, with over 446,000 members, the West Brom Building Society knew that moving into a brand new head office building would bring its own unique set of requirements. Corporate Facilities Manager, Mark Brayford, tells us why they chose William Hands.
“The move to impressive new premises was an important statement by the West Brom as a confident, forward-thinking organisation, and we wanted this reflected in all aspects of the newly-built head office.”
“It meant not only having a building that was appealing in appearance, but one that was spacious and comfortable, a working environment that encouraged effective collaboration and communication across different departments.”
Mark was a key member of the head office project team, which included his involvement in the choice of furniture for the new building. Understandably, they wanted furniture of the highest quality and, likewise, when it came to the boardroom and the executive suite, the project team was keen to see it symbolise the West Brom’s self-confidence as a business.
“Aided by our interior designer, Hannah Nardini, who pointed us in the right direction in terms of style of furniture, we went through a thorough selection process. We carefully assessed a diverse range of companies before opting for William Hands as the outstanding candidate. For instance, we visited their showroom in London while we also had the opportunity to have a factory visit with them, which was invaluable. It allowed us to see the high quality of craftsmanship, the skill, experience, and care that went into creating such fine finished products. The fact that they were made in the UK was, for us, a real added bonus.”
Not surprisingly, it was a demanding and busy time making sure everything was ready for the West Brom’s move into their eye-catching new head office, but they found William Hands supportive and flexible at all stages, and very professional to work with.
“We didn’t have any issues with William Hands. All the furniture went in really smoothly. Since the move, everyone has been extremely impressed with it. The members of the board are really happy with the boardroom, which is both a good working space and a setting that conveys an immediate impression of style, sophistication and strength.”
Since the move, the West Brom has been back to William Hands for more products, including fitting out an office for a newly-appointed director.
