Solihull building consultancy relocates after major expansion
BUILDING and cost consultants Projex Building Solutions has moved to new offices in Solihull after outgrowing its former offices.
The company has undergone continued expansion in the last 12 months, a situation which has seen it double its headcount and enjoy its busiest year since the company was launched in 2009.
Now based out of Dominion Court, 43 Station Road, Solihull, the firm is currently working on a wide range of schemes with combined development values of over £100m, involving some 1.5 million sq ft of development.
Richard Lister has joined as senior surveyor, bringing over 13 years’ experience working for both public sector clients and some of the UK’s best known brands. He will assist on a number of major mixed use and retail contracts including the Mell Square redevelopment in Solihull town centre.
Lister joins other new recruits including office manager, Jackie Wiley and Luke Askill, who have joined from Nottingham University.
The company now employs 27 people across its two offices in Leeds and the West Midlands.
Other key projects include Banbury Gateway and Rushden Lakes Shopping Park where Projex is providing project management and cost consultancy advice to LXB, the Jersey- based retail investment specialist.
Projex also recently helped get the UK’s first zero energy coffee shop off the ground after the first of two trial “eco pods” for Costa Coffee officially opened in June.
Located at Wrekin Retail Park, Telford, the project is the result of a collaborative partnership between Costa, Projex and Bransford-based Emission Zero architects.
Projex approached Costa with the idea after launching a joint venture with Emission Zero looking at how eco buildings might work in different commercial sectors.
Costa then developed the eco-pod initiative in partnership with Hammerson , the retail property specialist and half owner of Birmingham’s Bullring shopping centre, which owns the retail park and facilitated the delivery of the new concept store. Costa will lease the building.
Projex director Nick Keaney said: “2009 was not an ideal time to set up a new company, particularly as the biggest change we have noticed in the past six years has been the increasing amount of time it takes to get a project to site.
“However, we are delighted that the service we provide has been recognised by some of the country’s leading property organisations and institutions and has led to our appointment on some of the UK’s most exciting new schemes.
“Due to continued demand, we are currently looking at expanding into London and hope to have further announcements on this front in the next few months.”
The company was formerly known as Keane Consult before merging with Leeds project management consultancy, Projex, in 2012.
