Leicester interior fit-out specialist opens London office

Interior fit-out and joinery specialists, EE Smith Contracts, based in Leicestershire, has opened its first office in London.

Nearly £500,000 has been invested in the new office located at the Business Design Centre in Islington, which will support their work in residential and hotel projects.

The new office houses 25 staff members, including project managers, design managers, and quantity surveyors. It also features a meeting room for engaging with both current and potential clients.

It comes on the heels of the company’s largest project in its 127-year history, which was the fit-out of the ballroom, meeting areas, and spa facilities at the Peninsula London Hotel on Hyde Park Corner.

Neil Bottrill, managing director of EE Smith Contracts, said although the majority of its employees will remain at its headquarters in Leicester, it made sense to open a London office. The majority of our biggest contracts are driven from central London and the South East and opening a London office has been on our radar for quite a few years.

“With the confidence we have in the market, we decided to take a lease at the Business Design Centre and fit out a suite to give us a permanent base for our staff and a space to host clients and meet sub-contractors. The market at the moment is quite phenomenal with high-end residential and hotel markets remaining incredibly strong despite a challenging economic backdrop.

“The industry itself has had a difficult couple of years with the energy crisis, inflation on building products and interest rates putting pressure on developers’ build costs, but our pipeline remains strong. We are enjoying a continual stream of flagship opportunities, based on client satisfaction levels of previous works, and we’re confident we’re going to win more high-profile contracts in the near future.”