Founder and chairman, Neil Laughton, established the leading office fit out contractor, Opl Group, 17 years ago. Since its humble beginnings in Laughton’s Wandsworth dining room, the firm has grown dramatically and today boasts a turnover of more than £40 million.
With offices in London and Birmingham, Opl works across a number of sectors with prestigious brands including Rolls Royce, B&Q, Virgin, Orange, Transport for London and the Walt Disney Company.
“As an office fit out contractor, we work hard to create spaces that inspire everyone who works in them. We take pride in carrying out every project in a non-adversarial manner, sharing knowledge regularly with clients’ professional advisors, and take full responsibility for delivering quality corporate interior design projects on time and within budget.” Says Laughton.
“Our aim is to create an inspirational workplace for our clients and although this is still the end game, over the last couple of years we have noticed a change in approach in the marketplace. Traditionally there have been two ways to tackle an interior design project – the first is the design and build approach offering a complete solution from conception to project management and construction, while the second has been to engage with a variety of consultants, each overseeing a different aspect of the development. In this case we would act as the contractor who carries out the fit out.
“For the first 10 years of the Group’s existence, we were one of the smaller companies in the design and build sector and did not go after the simple fit out contracts. However, we noticed the manner in which the industry was changing and so we implemented a strategy that would see us become a strong player in both areas of the sector. As I’m sure you can imagine, when the recession hit, having expertise in traditional fit out as well as design and build meant we were able to continue to grow and further strengthen our position in the marketplace.”
Opl has won a number of significant contracts for some major Blue Chip companies, including BAA, the University of Derby and the Department of Health. For BAA, the challenge was to deliver a new, more efficient and enjoyable way of working for BAA staff at a combined head office and operations centre for BAA and Heathrow Airport. This new £17.5 million project involved the remodelling and refurbishment of the 220,000 sq ft Compass Centre Complex, retaining as much of the original BA fit out as was economical and appropriate. Completion would allow the closure of 14 separate BAA and Heathrow office locations. All phases were delivered on time and to budget. As a result, BAA has been able to achieve a new business operational model that is reducing travelling, increasing staff interaction and increasing efficiency. Opl set a new standard in sustainability on a BAA project, recycling 93% of furniture and materials. The project won a Silver AIS Award and a Mixology award in 2010.
Neil says, “The market is now beginning to revert back with the integrated design and build project coming to the fore but, because of the changes we made, we are now in a strong position to take advantage of this. We believe over the next few years, clients will be looking to find smarter, more efficient ways of working. To this end, we have just completed a project with Ignis Asset Management, one of the UK’s leading asset management firms, to design its new head office at 150 Cheapside in London. The scheme, which completed earlier this year, was developed following an in-depth workplace consultancy process to ensure that the solution was an appropriate reflection of the brand as well as meeting the complex needs of the company’s employees. This included a central staircase to link two floors and allow business conversations to be continued without leaving Ignis’s space, as well as multi-use areas for meeting, working and relaxing. The look created by our in-house design team has impressed clients and inspired talent.”
For further information please telephone 0208 704 6600 or visit www.oplgroup.com
