Leading Midlands PR and digital agency, Willoughby PR, has moved offices following a period of sustained expansion. The agency has remained on the Calthorpe Estate in Birmingham, moving just a few doors down to 39-40 Calthorpe Road, Edgbaston.
The agency, which currently employs 43 members of staff and counts Calthorpe Estates as one of their clients, has moved from a 4,000 square feet to a 10,000 square feet home. The new premises, which have been extensively renovated, have the capacity to house up to 65 employees.
Jayne Herritty, sales and marketing director at Calthorpe Estates said; “WPR, like many businesses, has grown over their twelve years on the Estate and we are delighted that we could support their move and expansion so that they stay here.
“We have attracted more restaurants and retail in recent years to support people working and living in the area, and are keen to build on the industry sectors including the creative sector. Our plans for The Village, which will bring a new heart to Edgbaston, will create more buzz and agencies, like WPR, are important to the vibrancy of the community.”
Spread across two floors, the office boasts; four cellular offices, a breakout room with dining area, a creative development area with a library, five meeting rooms and desk space for up to 65 members of staff.
Jane Ainsworth, managing director and owner, said; “WPR has been based on Calthorpe Road since 2003, when we were a team of around 24. We are currently recruiting so a move has been under discussion for some time.”
Thomas Morley from Harris Lamb acted as the agent and Rohit Chaudry from Tuffin Ferraby Taylor was the surveyor working with WPR on the move. Legal advice was provided by Stephanie Hughes from Hill Hofstetter.
Part of the agency’s expansion has included several important new hires over the past 12 months. These include a new Head of Consumer, Marie Carter, who joined from Tangerine PR in Manchester. Since joining, she has been responsible for business development in the consumer team as well as overseeing key clients including The Spirit Group, Regis, Supercuts and Sudeley Castle and Gardens.
Rebecca Lawlor joined the B2B team as Account Director last summer from Bright PR. She heads up a variety of accounts in the engineering and manufacturing sector including Legrand, Uponor, Xylem, Norbar and Eriks.
2014 also saw the agency recruit Sally Hawkesford as Group Social Media Director. Previously digital content editor at Real Homes Magazine, Sally oversees a client portfolio including Dunelm, Dorma, Pyrex and ADDIS.
Established in 1992, WPR is one of the region’s most longstanding public relations firms. Now ranked at number 83 in the PR Week national agency league tables, the firm has a turnover of £3.3m and employs 43 staff. The client list includes the likes of Wacky Warehouse, Regis, Triton Showers, Worcester, Bosch Group and Care UK.