Independent accounting and business advisory firm HURST has agreed a deal to move its head office to a new flagship development in Stockport to accommodate its growing team.
HURST is taking 11,000sq ft at 3 Stockport Exchange, which is under construction and is due to open next year.
The firm has been based since 1998 in Tiviot Dale in Stockport town centre, but has outgrown those premises.
HURST has taken a 10-year lease to occupy the whole of the fifth floor of 3 Stockport Exchange, the latest phase of a £145m project by Muse Developments and Stockport Council.
The fit-out of HURST’s new HQ is due to begin in January 2024, with its 120-strong team scheduled to move in next April. The new HQ will give the firm scope to expand to around 170 staff, which it aims to achieve over the next three years.
3 Stockport Exchange is a 64,000sq ft Grade A office building with a communal roof terrace. It is being built by Galliford Try. It will have 38 cycle racks, showers, lockers and a drying room, high-speed passenger lifts, high-speed fibre infrastructure provided by BT Openreach and Virgin Media, and a BREEAM excellent rating.
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By GlobalDataThere will also be a 399-space multi-storey car park with 26 charging points for electric vehicles, solar photovoltaics and a green ‘living’ wall.
It forms part of the wider Stockport Exchange development comprising 375,000sq ft of office space and 28,000sq ft of commercial retail and leisure amenities. The scheme is already home to brands such as Stagecoach, musicMagpie, Holiday Inn and BASF.
Dubbed Stockport’s version of Manchester’s Spinningfields business district, the development is in the heart of the town centre and on the doorstep of Stockport train station.
HURST, which was founded in 1982, focuses on advising entrepreneurial owner-managed businesses with turnover of £5m and above across all sectors. Clients include Kinaxia Logistics, M&I Materials, Beechfield Brands, Duerr’s, Oliver Valves, Lancashire County Cricket Club, Krones UK, Creamline Dairies, Arighi Bianchi, Scapa Group and Hyde Group.
Its move to 3 Stockport Exchange comes on the back of a record few years at the firm and to support its growth with an ambitious plan to reach fee income of £20m.
Commenting on this, HURST managing partner, Tim Potter, said: “Although we looked at various sites in Manchester city centre, Stockport has always worked very well for us from a client and team perspective.
“It’s a great place to be and is firmly on the map for business and leisure, reinforced by its status as Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2023.
“When it came to looking at locations in the town, 3 Stockport Exchange stood out because of its environmental credentials and its superb public transport links, which offer easier access to staff and thereby will broaden our recruitment appeal even further as we look to expand the firm.”
Andrew Timms of Edwards & Co represented HURST in its hunt for a new HQ. Simon Maddox of JMW Solicitors provided legal advice. Atul Bansal of Sheila Bird Studio is the design and fit-out adviser for the new offices.
Potter further said HURST would be reviewing its Manchester city centre presence with a view to expanding this too. Its current Manchester offices are on Deansgate.
