National office fit out and refurbishment specialist Overbury has been appointed to help deliver a new headquarters in Northamptonshire for a leading energy supplier.
Opus Energy, which supplies gas and electricity to 300,000 businesses across the UK, is consolidating its three existing offices in Northampton to create a single 90,000 sq ft HQ at John Dryden House, which is also in the town.
The move, which will see the energy supplier more than double its existing office capacity, will house the company’s 850+ staff when the work is completed in December. Opus Energy, which also has offices in Cardiff and Oxford, was bought by power station company Drax Group in December 2016 for £340 million.
Opus Energy acquired John Dryden House from Northampton County Council and plans to spend the upcoming year completely refurbishing the building. Once Overbury has completed the fit out, the building will boast high-quality facilities, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems and break out areas for staff.
As part of the extensive interior work Overbury will increase the size of the building too, extending it with a glazed steel frame structure that will open up the reception and catering areas significantly. The contractor will also provide new furniture throughout to complement the overall design, which is modern and comfortable.
Chris Mellor, Contracts Manager at Overbury’s Birmingham-based team, said: “It’s great to start work on this very exciting project which will see us provide Opus Energy and its workforce with an amazing new headquarters with a fresh, contemporary feel and excellent facilities. It’s a promising time of growth for Opus Energy, and as a Northampton man, who lives locally, it’s rewarding to be involved in a scheme that’ll benefit the town and create employment.
“Our brief is to ensure there is a very high quality finish and plenty of facilities that will help staff work and relax in comfortable surroundings, all of whom will be under the same roof for the first time. The new office will be quite a transformation and we’re looking forward to unveiling the finished product at the end of the year.”
Opus Energy chief operating officer Nikki Flanders commented: “The move to John Dryden House signifies a milestone in Opus Energy’s history. Our teams are a point of pride and we’re delighted to be providing our employees with state of the art facilities and a workspace they can be proud to work in. We are excited to have all employees in one place and see the benefits in action.”
Once John Dryden House is complete, Opus Energy will move its staff from its offices at Westbury Court, Moulton Park; Francis Crick House, Moulton Park; and Regent Pavillion, Royal Pavillions.
The building consultancy team at Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) Northampton, has been working with Opus Energy on the project, handling the tender work and scoping specification with mechanical and engineering consultants.
Ian Leather, head of office agency at LSH in Northampton, who has worked with Opus Energy since the company was launched in 2002, said: “It’s been fantastic to be involved with Opus Energy’s growth, from finding its first office when it was a small start-up to now supporting it as it acquires a 90,000 sq ft premises.
“It has never wavered in its commitment to having its headquarters in Northampton and we’ve been able to help the company as it has expanded over the past 15 years to now being the sixth largest business energy supplier in the country.”
