Scott Mitchell is pondering what to cook for his eight staff next Friday lunchtime. By his own admission he does not have a large repertoire.
It’s a new policy in place at the Christchurch offices of commodity exporter Gardner Smith. Each month one of the eight staff has to take a turn at cooking lunch for their colleagues in the swish kitchen of their new premises.
A couple of months since shifting in, the affable general manager is very clear that the move into this uber cool space on the ninth level of Forsyth Barr was right.
The buy-in from his close-knit team has been paramount in the decision to move from Gardner Smith’s former premises in the Guthrey Centre, which they occupied for 18 years, to this chic new space – once home to valuers Fright Aubrey.
Why shift to somewhere triple the rent, let alone the set up costs and operating expenses?
Gardner Smith, like many quietly flourishing Christchurch companies, felt they needed a new lease of life. Operating in New Zealand since 1984. Gardner Smith NZ Ltd is an industry leader in both the procurement and export of New Zealand tallow and commodity by-products as well being New Zealand’s largest independent bulk liquid storage provider.
Sally Ryan, office leasing specialist at Colliers International in Christchurch, said that while times may be tough, many tenants are still reviewing their requirements and looking at their options.
“While tenants may not have outgrown their space, they often feel like they have done as much as they can and that it’s time for a change. Scott and his team were typical of companies who see a shift as really positive for their business dynamic.”
Satisfying staff remains a key criteria along with the need for good entertaining spaces.
Mrs Ryan said that firms are paying increasing attention to creating an inviting environment for staff. Despite the economic climate, the savvy firms understand that staff happiness is integral to the success of the organization.”
Mr Mitchell said he had been thinking about moving for sometime.
“ Part of the impetus was that we wanted to move somewhere that was perceived to be a little more upmarket. Our previous premises were great and they stood the test of time really well. We had a great landlord who worked in with us.
“But I felt it was time to look around. If we didn’t find anything substantially better, we would have stayed put. We all talked about what our ideal kind of space would be and I was a little surprised to find that all the staff wanted to stay in the CBD. For my own part, I knew I wanted a balcony and a view.
“We looked at some space in B grade buildings but I couldn’t see the point in moving unless we were getting a substantial improvement. We looked at half a dozen options but there was no comparison.
Enter 320m2 of premium space in A grade building Forsyth Barr. Not only did it have a panoramic view of the city –if you’re looking you can even see out to Sumner from one office – but it had a 35m2 balcony. Come summer, this will be a prime entertaining area for staff and clients.
“Sally showed us half a dozen or so spaces but as soon as we walked in here, it sold itself. It was a big jump from the 240m2 we’d had previously and while we don’t want to increase staff numbers, we did want to provide our staff with more space and to create a really good entertaining area.”
The balcony area, yet to be fitted out with furniture and requisite barbeque, provided the focal point from which to work as the drastic refurbishment took place. A boardroom and more casual seating area open onto the balcony as does the staff kitchen area, which can be cut off by frosted glass sliding doors.
The view does the talking, coupled by liberal use of wood panelling, lots of white and accents of moss green in the kitchen and the open plan office area.
Sally Ryan: “ The Gardner Smith shift came together pretty quickly because this type of premium space gets snapped up. But Scott had already been mulling the idea over for a year beforehand.
“ We say to tenants that they should start analyzing their needs at least 12 months out from the expiry of their lease. That gives plenty of time to canvas the opinion of staff and really think long and hard about their needs. Do they need a bigger area? What about car parking? Do staff want to be in the CBD or would they prefer an office park?
“Tenants such as Gardner Smith are good to work with because they have a clear understanding of the process and are realistic about satisfying the commercial requirements of the landlord – as well as themselves.”
For further information, please contact:
Sally Ryan, Colliers International, 03 365 7887; 0274 833311; sally.ryan@colliers.com
Sidebar
The office leasing process
It is crucial to understand what your business and workplace and, therefore, property requirements are through a process of evaluation and forecasting.
The first step is to determine your property needs. Commercial leasing decisions should be considered with a medium to long term view. Decisions need to take account of future requirements as well as today’s needs. Your brief should take into account a wide range of criteria:
- Size of space
- Number of employees (max and min)
- Location
- Building services
- Security and access
- Technical requirements
- IT and communications infrastructure
- Environmental considerations
- Signage/naming rights
- Fitout needs
- Image/quality, aesthetics
- Carparking
- Office hours
- Lease structure
- Timing
- Budget
- Any unique needs
- Term/renewals
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