Independent server hosting provider, Melbourne has completed a major office move after investing over £150,000 in a head office with a difference.
It is now in residence at Lovell House at Manchester Technopark where it will occupy over 6,000 sq ft of office space – more than double the size of its previous facilities at Turing House.
Billed as the ‘Melbourne Home’, the new office turns traditional ideas of workplace design on its head. Speaking of the new HQ, managing director Daniel Keighron-Foster said: “At Melbourne our most important asset is our team. That’s why we wanted to create a space that would reflect the ethos of the company – a family-run business that puts its staff at the heart of everything we do.”
Modelled around different areas of the home, the new work space has a kitchen housed in a potting shed, a grassed picnic area for lunches and informal meetings, an art deco dining room, a library and a retro quiet space. There will be an industrial hub for the 24/7 support team, while for moments of true creativity, visitors can climb into Narnia (via the Melbourne wardrobe, of course).
Heather Wright is co-founding director of Advance Performance – a corporate and personal development company, which specialises in behavioural change. She said: “It sounds simple, but being happy at work is an easy way to boost motivation. Psychological research shows time and again that people are far more productive when their office building and environment create a positive atmosphere.”
Daniel added: “For us, creativity and productivity go hand in hand. If people are inspired by their working environments they are more likely to perform to the best of their ability. Grey and boring is not what we’re about and this new space completely reflects our personality.”
As well as accommodating future expansion, the move has freed up an additional 1,200 sq ft of rack space at its old head office, providing a significant boost to the company’s server hosting capacity. Plans are also in place to transform part of Turing House, its original HQ, into an internal and external training facility.
The company, which already has 25 employees, plans to increase staff numbers by 15 over the next 12 months.
Melbourne is on course to break the £3 million barrier in 2011. With ambitious expansion plans, the company has its sights set on reaching a turnover of £10 million by 2014. The company provides fixed and virtual hosting solutions for over 3,000 local, national and international clients in the IT and creative sectors, including PZ Cussons, Bench and JJB Sports.
Melbourne has documented its move with the launch of a video created by Manchester-based writer and director Dennis Keighron-Foster. It was produced by Ian Sandall of SPL Communications. You can see the video at www.melbourne.co.uk (tweak link to ensure goes to video page).
To find out more about Melbourne, or to arrange a tour of its new office space, visit: www.melbourne.co.uk / @melbournehost.
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Jessica Wilkinson and Alex Kapp
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Email: Jessica@peppermintpr.com
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