First Drink's Reception

ODT Business Interiors has put the finishing touches to a “breathtaking” £1.6m project for Britain’s fastest growing drinks distributor.

The regional office fit-out specialist won the contract by First Drinks to transform its new 20,000 sq ft (1,858 sq m) headquarters in Hampshire. Upwards of 120 staff at First Drinks, owned by independent family-owned distiller William Grant & Sons Ltd, have just moved into the operational nerve centre at Hook after relocating from the previous base at Southampton docks.

The 16-week scheme at Form:1 involved nearly 50 sub-contractors and an estimated 20,000 hours of work on site.

Features installed include a restaurant, meeting rooms, a telepresence room dedicated to high-end video conferencing, as well as open-plan offices, collaboration areas and walkways, visual presentation light boxes for products and a modular conference room for up to 120 people that can be reconfigured into smaller spaces. A bar has also been integrated, where marketing staff can demonstrate products to clients.

Chris Mason, First Drinks’ Managing Director, said:

“The results are simply breathtaking, providing staff with an attractive working environment suffused with light and in a setting that showcases our products to customers to brilliant effect.” “What has been achieved here by customer-focused ODT Business Interiors is world-class, beating everyone hands-down on quality, functionality and looks and reflecting our premium brands.” He added: “The refurbishment has been money well spent, enhancing productivity, pride and purpose in our role as Britain’s fastest-growing drinks distributor." “We have been delivered an awesome building that exceeds our expectations in every way and will help to drive the business and our iconic brands on to further success. “Our new premises here in Hook, strategically situated close to the M3 and with convenient access to the M25, followed a long search for the right calibre premises in the right location as we had outgrown the previous accommodation in Southampton.” ".

Andrew Saunders, a director at ODT Business Interiors, said:

“It is a privilege to be at the heart of a design-and-build project that surpasses the rightly exacting requirements of First Drinks, which is a highly professional company where every detail counts. This was our largest project to date, and we’re thrilled with the great feedback from staff.”

The work by ODT Business Interiors is the latest large-scale contract involving well-known companies in Hampshire.
Others include:

The new headquarters of drinks giant Bacardi-Martini at Kings Worthy, near Winchester, following its own relocation from Southampton docks, and an office for AIM-listed recruitment plc Matchtech Group at Whiteley.

The firm also refurbished the new head office of Insensys, a technology provider to the global wind power industry, at Segensworth East, near Fareham, and for Faststream, a global recruitment group, at Ocean Village, Southampton.

Staff at First Drinks, which is the leading supplier of malt whisky in the UK and has more liqueurs than any other UK distributor, are involved in sales, marketing, finance, distribution and operations. Customers range from major supermarkets and cash-and-carries to pub chains and, via wholesale partners, individual restaurants and bars.

The completed facility includes a prestigious drinks bar area where marketing staff can demonstrate products to clients. First Drinks’ distribution portfolio includes William Grant and Sons' world number one single malt – Glenfiddich – as well as Grant's, The Balvenie, Hendrick's Gin, Sailor Jerry, Tullamore Dew and Monkey Shoulder.

The company also manages the UK distribution, sales and marketing for other brands, including Rémy Martin, Russian Standard, Disaronno, Charles Heidsieck, Piper Heidsieck, Three Barrels, Cointreau, St- Rémy, Benedictine, De Kuyper, Taboo, Warninks, Passoã, Mateus Rosé, Mount Gay Rum, OVD, Wood's 100, Carolans cream liqueur and Irish Mist whiskey liqueur.

Its new office is less than a mile from Junction 5 of the M3. First Drinks’ full address is Form:1, 17 Bartley Wood Business Park, Bartley Way, Hook, RG27 9XA.

Hughes Ellard, a commercial property agency in Hampshire, acquired the premises on behalf of First Drinks on a 10-year lease, with a headline rent of £19.50 per sq ft.
Ends

For more information on First Drinks Brands Limited, click on to www.firstdrinks.co.uk