It is a year since Strand Group undertook one of the biggest operations in its history, the move into its new purpose built HQ at Tromode Estate just outside Douglas. The building was handed over at the end of September 2014 and comprises of five units, each covering 3,000 square feet with a mezzanine level office in the first unit. The building, Sailmaker House, now houses the four businesses within the Group; Strand Facility Services, Storall, Clean A Way and Krypton Cleaning Services. It is home to over 130 employees.

‘There have been so many benefits from the move,’ said Chairman of Strand Group, John Hellowell. ‘Aside from having a superior working environment, everyone is together in the office and this makes us more efficient. It makes liaising with other team members easy and this is particularly important when a customer uses two or more of our services. We were spread over several old buildings before the move, and we don’t take for granted having such comfortable new offices. Being able to look out onto green space and trees is a real bonus,’ he added.

There have been financial savings too. ‘The efficiency of the building for heating and lighting has meant significant savings on our utility bills. We’re very pleased with the green footprint we’ve been able to create here. The eco aspects that were specified during the planning and building phases of the project are really paying off now,’ he said.

There has also been a surge in new business for the Group’s commercial refuse collection business, Clean A Way as a result of the move. Increased visibility for Clean A Way, which now has five refuse collection vehicles, has led to a number of enquiries and new customers continue to be attracted by cost savings and a practical and pragmatic approach.

The move took place over several weeks at the end of last year and as well as moving everything involved in the running of the four businesses, it included many thousands of archive boxes containing clients’ confidential documents. These were transferred into the new document storage area of Strand Group’s document management business, Storall. Two crews worked shifts from 7am till 9pm for several weeks to complete the transfer of documents, and this was all carried out to ISO Quality Standards.

Mr Hellowell said, ‘We invested in a state-of-the-art document management system that is truly impressive and of a significant scale. This investment is now paying off, everyone who sees it in operation has been impressed and we’ve won new clients as a result. Our clients know that they have a secure facility that is totally unrivalled anywhere on the Isle of Man, with quick and efficient access to their documents whenever they need them.’

The storage system runs on rail tracks which were set into the concrete floors during the construction of the building and there are currently five carriages, each weighing one and a half tons and capable of carrying 90 tons. The carriages are used to move and retrieve archive boxes to and from the rows of racking. Strand Group factored in ‘room to grow’ and some of this space is already being used to store new clients’ documents. Additional floor space is still available for further expansion and the floor has been laid so that new rail tracks can be added as soon as they are required.

The official opening of the new Strand Group HQ took place in February of this year with Member of the Legislative Council, Tony Wild, performing the official naming ceremony. Mr Wild praised the Group’s vision, recognising the massive investment involved in building the new HQ and the commitment Strand Group is making to the future.

The owner of Tromode Estate is Clucas Plc. Clucas worked closely with the team at Strand Group throughout the build and has continued to be an exemplary landlord. Mr Hellowell paid tribute to everyone at Clucas. He said, ‘Throughout the initial planning, the construction and the move we could not have had better support. Managing Director of Clucas Plc, Alex Thomson, and his colleagues have done everything possible to ensure a smooth transition. Of course there were some teething troubles but the way they were dealt with is a credit to everyone at Clucas. We couldn’t be happier.’

‘We urge businesses to come to see us in our new home and learn about what’s on offer within Strand Group. Sometimes it’s hard to shake off old perceptions, and whilst we’re proud of our roots, starting with just two people cleaning windows on Strand Street, we now offer a world-class service to all of our clients including the many international companies that are based here. The combination of our new facilities, our experienced and long-serving team, and our local knowledge is a formidable package,’ he added.

Storall is accredited to ISO 27001:2013 Security Information Standard and ISO 9001:2008 Quality Standard.

Strand Facility Services is also credited to ISO 27001:2013 Security Information Standard.

Full information on the Groups’ activities can be found at www.strandgroup.im or call 663913.

Photo - Alex Thomson MD, Clucas Plc & John Hellowell, Chairman, Strand Group.