Global testing, inspection and certification group Kiwa has become the newest business to join the ‘people first’ vision of Gloucestershire’s mixed use campus Grange Park.
Kiwa Central Services has moved into a 4,300 sq ft ground floor office suite at the parkland setting on the A435 in Bishop’s Cleeve. Next spring the operation will relocate to a larger first floor suite currently being prepared to its specification.
Kiwa, a global top 20 business in its field, already has premises in Stoke Road, Bishop’s Cleeve which will remain the gas, solid fuel and renewables test labs, consultancy and training centre for Kiwa Energy. The 35 member Central Services team has been migrated to Grange Park to enable ongoing growth and it is expected that the number of people there will grow significantly.
Mark Horwood, Kiwa UK CFO, said: “We wanted somewhere not too far from our existing site and somewhere we could expand. We looked around but were drawn to Grange Park’s vision. It is progressive, modern, exciting and dynamic.
“Our employees are our most important asset, and we really liked the people first approach at Grange Park which nicely reflects our vision for Kiwa. And the building has a prestige that we feel matches our organisation.”
Grange Park is being reimagined as a ‘people first’ mixed use campus where staff and visitors can work, relax and exercise amid mature trees in 14 acres of parkland next to Grangefield, a further 11 acres of accessible wetland, wildflower meadow, orchard and ponds.
The Grange, the former HQ building of Zurich Insurance, is being improved as part of the multi-million pound project to transform the whole site, now named Grange Park, into a truly welcoming base for business.
Phase one of the extensive refurbishment includes a concierge reception and reimagined office suites from 5,000 sq ft. Kiwa’s first floor office lease is for ten years, with a five year break.
Mark, who was one of the first to move to Grange Park, said: “This will be a permanent base for Central Services which supports Kiwa operations across the UK. It will give us greater profile, scope for expansion and, being surrounded by parkland, it will give our employees a very pleasant environment.
“The lease negotiations went smoothly, there were no issues at all and the fit-out was done by the landlord to a high standard with no snagging and, incredibly quickly. The contractors were excellent, and we have lovely offices that people enjoy coming to.”
Rents at Grange Park are very attractive at up to 40 per cent less than equivalent space in the town centre. The Grange’s 60,000 sq ft floor plates are some of the largest in the South West.
Grange Park is well connected by road to Cheltenham and the M5’s junction nine. It is just three miles from Cheltenham town centre and less than five from GCHQ. Bus services stop on the site and the county council has plans to extend safe cycling routes from Cheltenham to Bishop’s Cleeve as part of Gloucestershire’s new 26-mile ‘cycle spine’.
Richard Crabb, from joint letting agents THP, said: “More than 45 per cent of the building is already let or under offer and we are actively talking to other potential occupiers.”
Ian Wills, from joint letting agents JLL, added: “There’s a lot of interest in Grange Park. The green space, parking provision and low rents make for a very compelling proposition.”
