ASKTHEEXPERT
Ask the Expert Q
Why open a second office so close to your established HQ?
Name:
Derek Gilburt
Title:
Director
Company:
O’Keefe Construction
Web:
www.okeefe.co.uk
Email:
info@okeefe.co.uk
Tel:
01732 883494
After 45 years trading from one location some things about a business can become landmarks. The familiar O’Keefe Construction red logo on the side of the office is on the south side of the Blackwall tunnel being one of them. Four years ago we were still in the throes of recession but the green shoots of recovery were starting to emerge. As in all other areas of our corporate thinking we were looking ahead. O’Keefe Group started the search for a potential second office in Kent. But searching just 24 miles from our established Greenwich base raised more than a few eye brows! We didn’t want to set up in a completely new region of the country as our medium term growth strategy was to expand our coverage in a more efficient and environmentally friendly way across a wider area of the south east. It would also provide the platform to extend our range of complimentary construction services if we could create two internal outlets.
The split in location allowed the London office to focus on large scale, technical, city jobs using all the specialist skills and processes that go with the territory. The Borough Green office attacked the more traditional projects but also needed to attract a staff and workforce with the right skill set and experience. A Kent office was essential in ensuring we were able to fully deliver on the localism issues many clients demand, from our employee base right through to our supply chain. Expanding our business through geographical spread has proved successful, increasing both turnover and client base. Kent has a very buoyant construction market being influenced by location to Europe and superfast commuter rail services to the capital. The County’s construction sector generates £1.7bn per annum which is around 8% of our county’s total output and
employs 6% of the available workforce which is 25% higher than the national average. A good measure of construction activity in London is said to be the number of tower cranes visible on the skyline, similar could be said in Kent for the number of new start housing schemes. Read through any of the local publications and there are some exciting, multi-million pound building projects due to kick off. Group MD, Patrick O’Keefe, isn’t scared to put his money where his mouth is when it comes to delivery by investing in a former farmstead at Cricketts Farm, Ightham. Planning was secured on the freehold site for a new 13,000ft2 corporate office building together with the conversion of outbuildings for start up businesses. Real investment from our business and real benefits to the local economy - and yes, 24 miles isn’t really that far!
We didn’t want to set up in a completely new region of the country as our medium term growth strategy was to expand our coverage in a more efficient and environmentally friendly way across a wider area of the south east.
August - September 2015ThinkingBUSINESS
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