Permasteelisa

Overview

Permasteelisa, founded in Italy in 1973 as a small window manufacturer, has evolved over the past fifty years into a leading brand in the façade construction industry. Today, it is renowned for providing premium glasswork for some of the most iconic buildings across Europe, America, Asia, and the Middle East, including local landmarks such as the Shard in London and global giants like Merdeka 118, the world’s second tallest skyscraper, in Kuala Lumpur.

Deciding to relocate from their office in Old Jewry to Cannon Street, just 250 meters away, Permasteelisa sought a larger, open-plan office space. This move aimed to enhance the working well-being of their growing team and better accommodate their expanding needs. Whilst Permasteelisa’s previous office space had only two meeting rooms and old mismatched furniture, their newly fitted space in the heart of Cannon Street promised luxury with modern, open-plan areas and large meeting rooms and newly integrated AV.

Having collaborated on previous London relocations, the project’s PM invited Renovo on board. Keen to assist in the leading global contractor’s milestone move, we quickly coordinated initial meetings with the client to understand their brief.

Renovo was introduced to the project just seven weeks before the move, with no specific date for the relocation being set and logistics yet to be agreed. The success of the relocation would depend on Renovo and Project Move Manager, Giedre Vaske, working with the client to finalise and implement plans, ensuring the quick turnaround that the client desired.

Scope & Services

Alongside Giedre Vaske, Renovo developed a comprehensive Move Project Management plan to kick-start the action. The detailed program included a scope of works and a budget for the relocation, covering the relocation of servers, all IT equipment, and the removal of legacy furniture from Old Jewry. Clear communication from the outset ensured that Permasteelisa, Renovo, Giedre and the Project Manager were all aligned, enabling them to work collaboratively whilst avoiding potential risks.

The planning and preparation for the move required mapping out the necessary work and the various workstreams for the project, including scheduling the relocation date. Moving boxes were provided for the client, allowing enough time for their staff to pack their personal belongings and equipment which would later be collected and moved to their new space on moving day.

Renovo coordinated with the fit-out contractor at the new site to implement changes to the AV and IT systems in the meeting rooms, such as integrating the room wizard for seamless meeting setup. At the former Old Jewry office, we implemented comprehensive audits and packaged the archiving room, which is now stored on an ongoing basis in our Rayleigh warehouse.

To minimise disruption to the client’s operations, it was agreed that the relocation would be performed outside of regular business hours. This strategic decision ensured that Permasteelisa’s daily activities remained unaffected, allowing their team to maintain productivity throughout the transition. To facilitate this, Renovo coordinated additional meetings with the Building Managers at both Old Jewry and Cannon Street. These meetings were crucial for gaining the necessary permissions and scheduling ‘out-of-hours’ access to the lifts at both locations.

Due to the mismatched lease end date at Old Jewry and the occupancy start date at Cannon Street, it was agreed that items would be temporarily stored at Renovo’s Rayleigh warehouse. This arrangement alleviated any concerns for the client in the build-up to moving day, providing a straight-forward solution to potential logistical challenges and preventing the client from having to outsource additional services. By offering secure and reliable storage, Renovo ensured that all items were safely housed and readily accessible, allowing the client peace of mind in the build up to moving day.

The relocation and clearance were completed over four days, utilising our expert resources, which included two 18-tonne vans, a supervisor, four fitters, ten porters, four IT engineers, and one move manager. To minimise disruption, all activities were scheduled for the weekend. Redelivery to Cannon Street took place on a bank holiday Monday, ensuring that the staff were fully operational by Tuesday.

Shortly thereafter, Renovo facilitated the redelivery, reconnection, and installation of all equipment in the new space. Ongoing support was provided to ensure a smooth transition for all users. This included setting up a help desk to assist staff with locating items and answering any questions, helping them settle in quickly and efficiently.

Sustainability

Renovo extended the life of large quantities of old furniture cleared from the Old Jewry office by donating them to our long-term charity partner, Business to Schools, preventing the items from ending up in recycling centers. Donating functional furniture extends its useful life, ensuring that resources invested in creating these items are used to their fullest potential. This approach embodies our circular economy principles, keeping products in use for as long as possible and minimising the project’s carbon impact.

Success Points

Our early involvement in the project fostered a positive relationship with the client team, allowing us to demonstrate our capability and reliability. They quickly entrusted us with additional tasks and responsibilities within the project. Our ongoing relationship with the client includes supporting them with storage and management of their archived records.

Over the weekend, much of the furniture from Old Jewry was deployed to local schools on the following Monday and Tuesday. The client received images of the schools and children using the furniture within days. Renovo managed the communication with Business2Schools on their behalf, facilitating a meaningful social impact in local communities. Approximately 100 items, including breakout furniture such as sofas and chairs, desks, bookcases, and filing cabinets, were distributed to three separate schools. Over the past three years, Business to Schools has re-homed approximately £30 million worth of furniture and technology from offices to state schools across the UK. Renovo is proud to contribute to this impactful cause in collaboration with a portfolio of clients.

Testimonials

“Hey Giedre. I just wanted to say thank you and show my appreciation for all of your hard work. Without you and your team, we would still be stuck at 10J!” 

Francesca Grillo (Permasteelisa Group) 

“We loved working with Permasteelisa. It was an incredible opportunity for us to meet our clients’ needs with a wide range of our services, ensuring their smooth transition to the new space.

Our Move Manager, Giedre, became an integral part of the Project Team and built a strong relationship with the client. This collaboration allowed us to stick to the schedule, enabling Permasteelisa to hand over Old Jewry to the landlord on time and establish a good relationship with their new landlord at Cannon Street. The opportunity to support Permasteelisa with their ongoing storage needs is a testament to the project’s success and the grounds of a positive and trusting client relationship.

Additionally, we were thrilled to partner with Business2Schools on this project, donating the unwanted legacy furniture to local schools. This not only extends the life of these pieces but also creates a significant social impact in the community.” 

Danny Rutter (Renovo) 

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