Tag: Testamonials

Auditel is a cost management consultancy that works to save finance directors and business owners time and money in an ever more competitive and financially demanding marketplace. We spoke with Lee Freeman from the overhead management specialists, who told us about how the support available at Carrwood has helped them develop since their move from Leeds City Centre. 

Developing and growing our business at Carrwood has been fantastic. We get excellent support from Oliver and his team, who see that every little detail of the office space is seen to and finished to the highest quality. When we work, we never even have to think about doing anything other than the work task at hand. Everything else is handled by Carrwood’s superb support team – the offices are kept immaculately clean, and the grounds are all just really “well-manicured”.  We feel every inch of the park is a space we can be proud of.

“We genuinely couldn’t ask for more.”

The support team really bends over backwards to help us whenever we need it. For example, when we were preparing to move in, all the important matters that needed sorting for our new space were done well in advance, so that on the day itself, we could just walk into our new offices, switch on our laptops and get on with our work. Besides the tremendous support we’ve received, Carrwood itself has given us a load of different ways we can meet with clients. We can use our own office space, or one of the meeting rooms, or even one of the many breakout areas within the atrium for less formal meetings. We genuinely couldn’t ask for more.

HCP Social Infrastructure is a company involved in the management of PFI projects on behalf of its investors. They have been based in the serviced offices at Carrwood for 5 years in total, and have occupied space in both Carrwood Park and Brookfield Court.

“The team have been extremely professional and supportive throughout.”

We talked to Mark Driver, Operations Director at HCP, who told us about how his company have developed within Carrwood Park.

Five and a half years ago, I was the single employee in HCP’s regional office here. But over the years, we have won a number of significant contracts in the area, and now work on 5 major education projects covering 52 schools across Yorkshire, and 1 major healthcare project. Our office now has 13 people in it.

We started at Carrwood in a 4-man office space, and since then have been able to move into larger spaces as we needed. We also make frequent use of the meeting rooms and conferencing facilities, and the complex is perfect for hosting our regional development days, where colleagues from all over the North West and Scotland – 40 or so in total – come to attend.

Being based at Carrwood has made it easy for us to expand and occupy more work space as and when we require it. And the team have been extremely professional and supportive throughout. We’d used serviced offices in the middle of Leeds before, but traffic and parking were a constant nightmare. At Carrwood, we get the balance of proximity to Leeds centre, but also to the main road and motorway to get out and about when we need to.

After benchmarking what we have at Carrwood, we’ve found it nigh on impossible to find other locations that combine the same value with quality of service.

To learn more about HCP, go to their website www.hcp.co.uk

The Safety Maintenance Company is a health & safety and Electrical training company offering comprehensive training solutions to a myriad of industries and sectors, including construction, schools, manufacturing, museums and many more. Michael Havercroft is the Operations Director at the company, and currently makes use of Carrwood Park’s virtual office services. We asked Michael why the virtual office package was the best option for his company.

The Safety Maintenance Company is a small but thriving business based between Leeds and Bradford. At The Safety Maintenance Company, we know that flexibility is the key to our success. We use Carrwood Park’s virtual office to act as our reception so that we never miss a phone call from a potential, new or existing client. Missing one of those calls can cost us invaluable business relationships that would mean the difference between profit and loss for us. So we’re thrilled to have the professional and dedicated team at Carrwood on hand to ensure we don’t miss a thing.

Knowing the phone will always be answered gives us the freedom and flexibility to get on with what is important.  Which is delivering the best training and overall service as possible. What we like is that the virtual office gives us the professional image we require when our clients call. There is nothing worse than an out-of-breath answer to your call, because the person picking up the phone has run halfway across the premises to answer. Our clients deserve to call and get an instant response and speak to someone calm, helpful and friendly. 

“The quality of the service offered is absolutely first-class; and a definite asset to our business.”

At first, working with Carrwood Park was just a good answer to a problem we had regarding potentially missing calls from clients. But over time we’ve used them, the relationship between us has become so much more. The quality of the service offered is absolutely first class and a definite asset to our business. The team understands that every client’s call is vitally important, so through their work we convey the right message to all our customers, old and new.

Learn more about The Safety Maintenance Company at their website http://www.thesmcl.co.uk

Incident Support Group is a fleet and accident management company providing bespoke automotive solutions to the fleet, leasing and insurance industries. They moved into Carrwood Park in November 2011, and since that time have expanded their operations two-fold. We spoke to Sales Director, Veronica Whittingham, for her take on what it’s been like growing their business at Carrwood Park.

Being based at Carrwood Park has had a really positive influence on the growth of our business. As a property, we feel it gives the right professional image we want our existing clients to see, and also gives a fantastic first impression to prospective clients visiting for the first time. The prestigious address and Leeds postcode are a great boon to our business.

We get the flexibility we want, which makes planning for expansion a lot easier, and the space we occupy is the space we need, allowing us to operate with unbeatable efficiency. 

“There is no’ selling’ required at Carrwood – the place sells itself.”

Veronica had more to say about the team at Carrwood:

There is no “selling” required at Carrwood – the place sells itself. I was charged with the task of finding flexible office space for ISG to accommodate our future growth, with state-of-the-art IT and telecom systems that would make any transition seamless and hassle-free. Oliver and his team at Carrwood tailored a package to suit our needs, and promised we’d get everything we asked for and more – they delivered on this promise.

We’ve been at Carrwood since November 2011, and the whole team have shown us that when you’re based in their serviced offices, the top-notch service continues even when the honeymoon is over.

Find out more about the work of Incident Support Group at their company website, which can be found here.

CTDS is a leading veterinary diagnostics lab, with facilities and offices based in Brookfield Court. In their time here, they have expanded from around 750 square feet of space to now using about 2,000 square feet. We spoke to Nick Carmichael, Founder and Veterinary Director at CTDS, and asked him about running his company at Brookfield Court.

“There are several important factors that have made Brookfield the perfect spot for us to run our business. From a logistical point of view, proximity to the MI has proved incredibly useful as we have a number of couriers coming to and from our offices every day, and our staff have found it useful too, as it has kept commuting times nice and low. Those in Leeds find themselves going against the regular rush-hour flow. It’s great.

Besides the excellent location, I’d say that for us, knowing that we can both expand and contract our usage of space according to our needs at the time is an important feature of using serviced offices at Brookfield. We always have access to meeting rooms without having to worry about the overheads needed to maintain our meeting room all the time. This level of flexibility is fantastic.

“When we have people visiting us, they are always taken aback by the sheer quality of the space we have here at Brookfield.”

 Another thing we have found great about locating our business at Brookfield is the environment at the site itself. It’s great for our staff to come into a pleasant workspace in a semi-rural location. They get the greenery and fresh air of the country, combined with the relative convenience of being close to the urban centre of Leeds, but without having to be in some ugly office block somewhere. We’ve also made use of the large open outdoor space at Brookfield for having lunch or just taking a break from time to time.

Finally, the offices and facilities themselves are just very impressive. When we have people visiting us, they are always taken aback by the sheer quality of the space we have here at Brookfield. This is a real distinction at Carrwood and Brookfield, where employers are given the chance to show they really care about their staff’s working environment.

Chaophraya Thai Restaurant was founded in 2004, and has expanded to include 9 restaurants across the UK, including locations in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester. Besides Chaophraya Thai Restaurant, they also operate ChaoBaby, located in Manchester and Sheffield, and Yee Rah Bar and Grill in Liverpool.

Christian and Chaophraya have been using the meeting room facilities at Brookfield for around 6 months in total, but one month ago decided to relocate their head office to Brookfield Court.

“Our main offices are in Brookfield and have received nothing but positive comments about the service, style, quality of fit out and tranquil setting, all of which we as a business want to provide. It’s part of creating a quality brand. All the staff across both sites are fantastic and always working with a smile

From meeting Oliver and his team over 6 months ago, they have provided a solution that really works for us. They really do live and breathe the business”

 “Our main offices are in Brookfield and have received nothing but positive comments about the service, style. Quality of fit and tranquil setting. All of which we as a business want to provide”

Christian explained why moving into serviced offices at Brookfield was the best option for him and the business:

“Serviced offices gave us great flexibility, providing a ‘working solution’ including fully equipped offices, hot-desks, meeting rooms and a wide range of secretarial support services. Quite simply, it grows with you as a business.

With no capital investment required to buy or lease office furniture, using Brookfield’s serviced offices has allowed us immediate access to a fully furnished and well-equipped workspace. This takes away the ‘hassle’ of managing an office, allowing us to concentrate solely on our business, while in turn reducing our financial risk to the cost of the minimum rental period.”

When asked about Brookfield Court itself as a location, Christian listed his top 3 features that make it stand out from similar office spaces in the area:

“1. Quality of the offices, which have a relaxed atmosphere and an idyllic setting. The ambience of the setting is really unique. We couldn’t ask for a more ideal location for our business.

2. Prime location just a minute away from J46 of the M1. For both our team and visiting clients, the location gives unbeatable convenience for all purposes.

3. High-quality overall service from the team. Oliver and the team tailored a solution to suit Chaophraya. And out of all the serviced offices we looked at, we found them the easiest to deal with, as well as the most helpful, friendly and professional. They know their business inside out.

Christian Hall, Financial Director at Chaophraya Thai Restaurant

Jonny Ross Consultancy offers website development and SEO services, specialising in digital and social media marketing and organic search in both B2B and B2C sectors. Jonny also offers training workshops in these areas and regularly presents at conferences and events.

Often on the road or working with clients on their premises, Jonny didn’t need a full-time service or managed office base. He is one of our virtual office clients, and makes regular use of the Carrwood Park communal areas, meeting rooms, and post management services.

“For me, Carrwood Park has offered some amazing networking opportunities. Jonny Ross Consultancy has been established for 18 months now, but I have seen huge growth during this period and have always been busy.

When I first joined Carrwood Park, a large proportion of my new business came from contacts I made here at Carrwood Park or at one of their networking events. Oliver is brilliant at putting people together. He can see opportunities for working together and always passes business and contacts on.

 “The price is extremely competitive, the service is amazing, and the cleanliness and tidiness of the overall environment are brilliant.”

Carrwood Park has great meeting rooms and different sizes depending on your requirements. And your clients will always get a great reception here. From a tech point of view, all the audio-visual and IT equipment is top-notch and very reliable. I often go in and plug my laptop into their projector to present to clients, and have never had any problems. Another thing I like about the team here is that they always try and keep up with the latest industry best practice.

I would certainly recommend Carrwood Park to others. The price is extremely competitive, the service is amazing, and the cleanliness and tidiness of the overall environment are brilliant. The location is also great for me. As I travel to clients a lot, I don’t want to be paying for car parking in the city centre. Carrwood Park suits me perfectly in this respect, and is right next to the M1 for regional and national travel.

I really did my research when I was looking for a base for my business, and from my findings, I would say that if you don’t need the city centre, then Carrwood Park is the best option in and around Leeds.”

Jonny Ross, Managing Director, Jonny Ross Consultancy

SNT is a service sector group focusing on the provision of business services which include Business Process Outsourcing, IT Managed Services, Software Development, Financial Services, including Asset Leasing, Principal Contracting and Electrical Services.

SNT works with businesses throughout all vertical sectors to provide a single business process outsourcing solution, through a modular framework of services.

SNT Group was formed in 2003 and has always located its HQ in the Leeds area. The company has maintained its Headquarters at Brookfield Court on Carrwood Park since 2011.

“The Carrwood team has an excellent ‘can-do’ approach, and is always willing and able to be flexible.”

“We were looking for high-quality offices with good motorway links, and were attracted to Carrwood Park because of its proximity to the M1. As well as our office-based team, we also have a team of mobile staff who are responsible for our services nationwide.

In addition to the excellent service and office quality offered at Brookfield Court, the proximity of the motorway links was an important factor in our decision to move to Brookfield Court.

Brookfield Court is bright, open and spacious, and every office has plenty of natural light.”

We wanted a professional office space, as Brookfield Court is our HQ and therefore a centre piece for the SNT Group to use for meetings with clients and partners. The office environment therefore had to be somewhere people could enjoy working or visiting.

We base a number of our business units from Brookfield Court, and high-quality work areas were important to us, along with good communal space. The atrium at Brookfield Court is spacious and allows staff space for impromptu meetings, space to relax during breaks, whilst the grounds provide a pleasant backdrop.

The security of the office space and also 24-hour access is an important feature at Brookfield Court, especially within our IT businesses with their 24/7/365 operational requirements.

Other business parks just didn’t have the facilities that are available to us at Carrwood Park. Here, we sit down with the management team at Brookfield Court and work out how the space can be made to work best for us. The Carrwood Team has an excellent “can-do” approach and is always willing and able to be flexible. All of the staff here are very helpful, and we have established a great relationship with the onsite team.

The Carrwood Park Team will always go the extra mile to make sure we have a suitable working environment and the office is kept to the highest standards.

The many things that stand out at Carrwood Park for us include: the high-quality finish; the spacious feel; the excellent facilities; the highly-maintained building and grounds; the security and 24-hour access; the flexibility of the space; the communication links; and the fact that the place is always kept exceptionally clean.

I would certainly recommend Carrwood Park to others.” Looking for high-quality office accommodation.

Sanako is a global leader in modern language labs and language teaching software. With 50 years’ industry experience under its belt, Sanako now operates in over 100 countries, and has been responsible for over 30,000 classroom installations. For the past 3 months, they have been in their new offices at Carrwood Park, and so we spoke to Business Manager David Binns about what exactly led him to offices at Carrwood.

After months of searching, short-listing and personal visits of ‘suitable’ office spaces in and around Leeds, the prospect of finding suitable premises was starting to become an arduous task. As the market for language labs has evolved from hardware to software-only solutions in the last couple of years, we no longer required a large warehouse for our UK operations and were looking for comfortable, modern serviced offices which reflected our company ethos and catered to our technological requirements.

“Many of the offices we considered have suitable features, yet lack the warmth and luxury that we have found at Carrwood Park”

We asked David to expand on exactly what set Carrwood Park apart from the competition:

Many of the offices we considered had suitable features yet lacked the warmth and luxury that we have found at Carrwood Park. Indeed, many office spaces could only be accessed by navigating endlessly through long and winding corridors, which one of my colleagues suitably described as a ‘rat run’. Carrwood Park offers the antithesis of this, with large office units and spacious interiors; it provides an excellent and relaxing working environment, while not compromising on modernity or facilities.

In the end, David summed up his experience working with Carrwood Park quite simply:

We have been made to feel entirely at home here by the friendly, welcoming staff, and there is a real community feel here at Carrwood Park, thanks in part to the generous communal areas.

Look no further in your quest for the best offices in Leeds – we’ve found them right here.