As Greater Manchester-based Brown & Bancroft Interiors celebrates its 10th anniversary, Madison Brown, Sales & Marketing Executive, talks to Simon Cronin about how the company has developed over the past decade and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the construction sector.
Brown & Bancroft Interiors, the main contractor, is responsible for the refurbishment of some of Manchester’s landmark buildings. The specialist fit out and refurbishment business was founded by Paul Brown and Jill Bancroft in 2013. Having spent over 30 years in the industry Brown and Bancroft recognised the opportunity to launch a company with a new approach. Brown & Bancroft’s ethos is to be transparent and prides itself on being easy to do business with. This new way of working has allowed Brown & Bancroft to be flexible, adaptable and offer a quicker, more organised and efficient service.
Since opening its doors Brown & Bancroft has grown steadily, staying in the same Bolton location but expanding its premises in 2019 and increasing the number of staff and departments. One of the biggest developments over the past decade has been the creation of an in-house design team which has allowed it to do design and build projects in full. Having an in-house team enables the company to respond to clients more quickly and translate technical drawings for its supply chain in a more effective and succinct way.
The relationship with the customer is at the heart of everything Brown & Bancroft does and great care is taken to work with the client to create the best design for their unique workspace needs.
Madison explains: “We work in an honest and open way, you don’t need to have any experience of construction or refurbishment to be one of our clients, we will explain industry terminology, available options, building regulations and present creative solutions to client requirements. Our client focused approach involves Brown & Bancroft acting as one trusted point of contact for the client and aims to make the process enjoyable.”
“In recent years employee experience has moved up the list of priorities for organisations, especially those that are in competitive industries where attracting the best talent is crucial. We work with the leadership teams to make sure we're fully inclusive and catering for all staff members’ needs within the organisation.”
Brown & Brancroft’s growing reputation has seen it work on several high-profile projects, including 340 Deansgate, Tower 12 in Spinningfields, not to mention the Chamber’s own offices at Elliot House. Alongside what Madison coins as ‘Manchester central showstoppers’, the company has also worked on a range of pivotal Greater Manchester schemes including the Diocese of Manchester’s relocation to Bury, Bolton Marketplace Shopping Centre, Bury College and the We Buy Any Car HQ.
Madison says: “We truly value the relationships we have formed with our clients. We’ve been fortunate enough to be invited back to work with a large proportion of our clients which includes Brown & Bancroft’s involvement in rolling out refurbishment schemes nationally, creating a design best-practice for organisations’ international headquarters and returning to deliver multiple schemes and phases at individual local headquarters.”
When asked about upcoming challenges for the industry Madison jests that having dealt with the disruption caused by Brexit, Covid 19 and then the war in Ukraine, she’s hoping the industry will experience calmer years ahead. Despite the challenges faced in recent years Madison recognises there are still challenges to face.
“Tackling the environmental crisis is a priority for the industry at present and I think we’ll see the growing importance of working collectively to come up with effective solutions that are affordable and accessible,” Madison says, “The other imminent challenge for us as an industry is the trade and talent shortage. We're just not seeing enough new talent join the industry both for on-site positions and office roles. As an industry we need to act as ambassadors for the opportunities available and address certain negative perceptions of construction as a whole.”
Looking forward to the next ten years, Madison says: “We're excited to see what the next 10 years has in store for our ever-evolving sector. The office environment updates constantly and it'll be interesting to see what it looks like in 2033. Our aim is to grow steadily, as we have done over the past 10 years, and to both retain and grow our successful team.
“We want to continue to deliver projects that make a difference to organisations and their employees. I love to go back into offices following a refurbishment and see the positive transformation in how people are working and how they collaborate with one another. Brown & Bancroft continue to work in an ethical and sustainable way that gives our clients a quality service.”
Madison explains the fundamental role of employee wellbeing in relation to office design and layout and the impact of the rise in home working since the pandemic.
“There are some easily implemented ways to encourage employee wellbeing through office design including exposure to natural light, encourage movement and standing workstations, biophilia (plants and greenery) and plenty of flexible workstations so people can have a change of environment. It’s now become acceptable to work from softer collaborative spaces rather than at a traditional workstation for the full day.”
“Previous to Covid agile, collaborative and flexible working styles were already being implemented in the design process however Covid has definitely been an accelerant to the adoption of these working styles for an increasing number of organisations. We are seeing the need for multiple formal meeting rooms decreasing, instead firms are opting for offices with softer meeting and lounge spaces that mirror a more residential environment and offer greater flexibility for usage. Covid also drove technological advances for many organisations, and this is something we are having to consider when designing including advanced AV solutions.”
“The impact workplace design has on the performance of individuals and companies validates the importance of the work we do. It’s a great time to be in the market that we're in and it's nice to have 10 years of reflection on how far we've come as a business and how far the sector has come as well.”
For more information about Brown & Bancroft, visit www.brownandbancroft.co.uk.
