29th October 2019 – Work to extend Fred. Olsen House in Ipswich, Suffolk, to create one central headquarters for staff at Fred. Olsen Ltd, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines and Fred. Olsen Travel has been making steady progress, with representatives from all three companies, plus Huntingdon-based Artisan (UK) Developments Limited, celebrating with a ‘Topping Out’ Ceremony yesterday [28th October 2019].
The ‘Topping Out’ Ceremony, to signify the adding of the roof to the multi-million-Pound extension, was attended by: Belinda Mindell, Chief Financial Officer of Fred. Olsen Limited; Penny Edgar, Director of Finance and Treasury, Fred. Olsen Limited; Stuart Ferguson,Head of Quality and Resources, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines; Fay McCormack, General Manager – Star Clippers, Fred. Olsen Travel; and Michael Eyres, Managing Director of Artisan (UK) Developments Limited.
To celebrate the ‘Topping Out’ of Fred. Olsen’s new extension, ‘Elmer’s Travel Trunk’ – the ‘Elmer the Elephant’ sculpture that Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines purchased recently from Ipswich’s St Elizabeth Hospice, as part of ‘Elmer’s Big Parade Suffolk’ – made a star appearance at the Ceremony, adding to his travels so far!
Belinda Mindell, Chief Financial Officer of Fred. Olsen Limited, said:
“Having personally been involved with the preparation and planning of this project since its inception nearly three years ago, I am delighted to see the office extension finally taking shape. The extension will more than double the space at Fred. Olsen House, as well as adding significant parking provision.
“This is an exciting and significant investment for Fred. Olsen, both in terms of our continued commitment to our businesses and to the local area, and will ensure that we have facilities suitable for growth in the future.”
Michael Eyres, Managing Director of Artisan (UK) Developments Limited, said:
“Artisan had approached Fred. Olsen on a number of occasions about the potential to rationalise their different locations in Ipswich into a single, combined HQ, with either a new stand-alone building, or by extending their existing office in Whitehouse Road onto our site next door.
“In October 2016, those discussions started to come to fruition and, by working together over the next two years, an agreement was reached that delivered the best possible outcome for both companies.”
Work on the extension to Fred. Olsen House – where Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has been based for over 25 years – got under way in April 2019. The new extension is set to be completed by May 2020. Refurbishment of the existing Fred. Olsen House will commence thereafter, with final completion of the extended HQ by the end of 2020.
The extension will more than double the size of the existing Fred. Olsen House, in White House Road, Ipswich, increasing the building size from 14,000 sq ft to 32,000 sq ft, and allowing staff of all three Fred. Olsen companies based in the Whitehouse area of the town to work from the same base. Currently, Fred. Olsen Ltd is based temporarily in Dencora Business Centre; Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is based at Fred. Olsen House; and Fred. Olsen Travel is located in Olympus Close.
The extension will be a three-storey building, incorporating open-plan office space, breakout areas and meeting rooms, with planning permission granted by Ipswich Borough Council.
In addition, Fred. Olsen has also purchased land to the rear of the extension site for the creation of additional staff parking areas, which is set to increase parking provision for all three companies by around 50%.
For further information on Fred. Olsen, visit the websites at www.fredolsen.co.uk, www.fredolsencruises.com and www.fredolsentravel.co.uk and respectively.
For more information on Artisan (UK) Developments Limited, go to www.artisandevelopments.co.uk