Interview with HALCO: How They Created a Workplace Ready for International Growth

When HALCO began planning the transformation of its Hereford headquarters, the business had already started to outgrow its existing space. The business needed a workplace that could support a growing team and reflect the quality of a company operating across international markets.

In partnership with Rhino Interiors, the scope of the project was to transform a complex multi-level building into a connected, premium workplace. We spoke with Sales Director Gregg Haughton to understand how the new office had helped HALCO achieve their ambitions.

Q: What prompted the decision to invest in a new workplace?

One of the main reasons we did this was because we’d simply run out of space. The business has continued to grow and we needed a larger workplace to support our team and enable us to keep growing.

The biggest excitement for us is that the office has given us room to grow. We wanted to create somewhere people genuinely want to work because attracting and retaining talented people is incredibly important to us as we continue to expand.

The building itself presented some challenges with multiple mezzanine levels across different heights, but Rhino found a way to bring everything together into one connected environment while making the most of every available square metre.

Q: Has the new office shaped a new experience for your team?

We’ve seen some really significant changes. There are a lot more people coming into the office now and our focus is on creating a workplace where people want to be.

The new office has had a direct impact on our commercial results and there has been an increase in sales since we got the new office. It feels like the workplace gives our staff a space they want to be in and that has influenced their productivity and engagement with their work.

The new layout gives people far more choice in how they work, whether that’s collaborating with colleagues, finding somewhere quiet to focus or making use of the shared breakout areas that have become the heart of the office.

Q: HALCO has offices in Europe so how has the new office changed the way your wider teams work together?

We have remote offices in France, Spain and Germany, and previously we didn’t really have the capacity for those colleagues when they visited.

Now they have somewhere to work. Our international teams can come into the Hereford office and choose any available desk within the flexible workspace to work from. Whether someone is working remotely in Germany or sitting in Hereford, it doesn’t impact their productivity. That’s been a game changer for us because it has strengthened our identity as one business rather than separate offices operating independently.

Q: What role did communication play during the project?

Throughout the whole process we felt involved in everything that was happening.

Communication was excellent and everyone maintained visibility of the project as it progressed. That made a huge difference because we always understood what was happening, why decisions were being made and what the next stage looked like.

Q: What has been the biggest success of the new office?

It has given us capacity to grow, created a workplace that people enjoy coming into and strengthened the connection between our teams, whether they’re based in Hereford or elsewhere in Europe.

The quality of the environment also reflects who we are as a business. The premium finishes, the flexibility of the workspace and the overall experience make a real statement to both our employees and visitors.