A company which helps businesses reshape their office spaces to make them fit for the modern world is growing at a rate of 25 per cent a year.
Blueprint Interiors has expanded on the back of a desire to create offices that help people feel better and work better.
The business, based in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in north west Leicestershire, has completed a number of high profile projects for clients in recent months ranging from a brick manufacture, to a hospice and a technology college.
It was also a finalist in the LeicestershireLive 2020 Innovation Awards, which were held in February - and winner in 2019.
Blueprint was launched by its chairman Rob Day almost two decades ago, who said investing in the right workplace could transform the lives of staff.
He said the firm鈥檚 commitment to getting things right - from interior design, to space planning, and adding greenery and technology - was paying off.
He said: 鈥淭his time last year we were around the 拢4 million turnover mark, and now we want to hit 拢5 million in our current year.
鈥淎nd as we are growing we will be looking to reinforce our staff - we are currently at 15 full-time staff and will be looking for one or two more in the next six to nine months.
鈥淚f our turnover does hits 拢5 million, we will probably be taking orders worth 拢7 million over the year, such is our rate of growth, which means a great start to the next financial year in May.
鈥淲e moved into our Ashby office, WorkLife Central, in November 2017 and its impact on our ability to grow and project our story and build our profile means we have had two years of growth and consistency and our platform here is reaping rewards.
鈥淲e are very bullish about the coming months. Politics aside, in business we have needed confidence and certainty and we want the Government to give us stability, recognise the Midlands region more, and give us clarity about what they will be doing next.
鈥淓ven in the week before Christmas, after the election, we were seeing projects being unlocked.
鈥淲e have seen almost twice the rate of take-up in order placements in the last six months and expect that trajectory to continue.
鈥淥ur ambition for some time has been to attract new clients, and that seems to be happening as our profile rises in the Midlands.鈥
He said they were working on 20-25 projects at any one time
Chloe Sproston, creative director at Blueprint, said improving staff wellbeing at work should be at the top of a management鈥檚 to-do list - and she said having an office designed to support happy and productive people was the 鈥渟ingle biggest wellbeing at work initiative鈥 that firm鈥檚 can invest in.
Chloe said: 鈥淗ere in the 海角视频, our average working week is 42.3 hours. That鈥檚 a huge portion of our lives. Which is why we believe it鈥檚 important to feel as good as you possibly can whilst you鈥檙e at work.
鈥淭he environment you work in directly influences the way you feel, even in ways that may not immediately spring to mind.
鈥淒esign decisions that can seem small, actually have a big impact on the wellbeing of people in the workplace.鈥
Recent Blueprint examples included:
Ibstock Brick Caf茅 - Ibstock
Blueprint has worked with Ibstock Brick for more than 14 years, and stepped in when the existing caf茅 at its Leicestershire home needed a fit out and refurbishment.
The caf茅 was originally designed as a 鈥榳orks canteen鈥, serving basic breakfasts and lunches with an average of 40 covers. The new 拢250,000 facility is somewhere staff can be proud of and happy to show off to customers and suppliers. The 鈥楩ood Factory鈥 now serves more than 150 covers a day.
Finch Consulting 鈥 Ashby de la Zouch
Finch needed to create a space that its engineering consultants, who mainly work remotely and are based across the 海角视频, would be drawn to visit, collaborate in, innovate in, share ideas in and engage together on a more social basis. Blueprint came up with the concept of 鈥楾he Nest鈥.
Rainbows Hospice - Loughborough
Having already refurbished the fundraising HQ at Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People, Blueprint was invited to design a special dining room for families.
The open=plan workspace for Rainbow鈥檚 staff enabled the team to collaborate more easily on the life-changing work it does, and the transformation of the dining area has created a central hub for families to create lasting memories and enjoy eating meals together within the hospice itself.
It has become another way that Rainbows helps to brighten short lives.
MIRA Technology Institute - near Hinckley
The new build teaching facility was funded through a 拢9.5 million grant from the Leicester and Leicestershire Local Enterprise Partnership Local Growth Fund with contributions from North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, HORIBA MIRA, Coventry University, Loughborough University and the University of Leicester.
The building needed to look the part of a modern teaching facility, feature the latest technology and, most importantly, inspire students to learn.
