NEWS & EVENTS

Roundhere has completed the installation of loose furniture and specialist desking at the stunning new £7m Winchester Discovery Centre – one of a new breed of libraries designed by County Council architects.

The brief for the new centre was to combine the best of lending libraries with an exciting world of learning, leisure, entertainment and fun. Special spaces for children and young people have been creatively introduced, plus comfy seating for reading and relaxing, internet access, Wi-Fi and online learning. There are meeting rooms, study areas and refreshment zones.

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall will officially open the centre on 21st February.

Hampshire County Council Leader, Councillor Ken Thornber: said since the centre opened at the end of November 2007 it had received huge praise from the local community. "The manager of the centre has told me that the centre is continually buzzing with people, whether they are enjoying a quiet read or a chat with their friends in the Café, it really does provide a venue for education and creativity," he said.

Roundhere has been awarded a three-year contract by Hampshire County Council to supply design furniture to its internal and external customers.

As part of the contract Roundhere will become a preferred supplier to 17 other local authorities in central and southern England that are members of the Central Buying Consortium.

Roundhere won the tender as a result of scoring highly in six areas:

• consultancy and design services


• customer service


• delivery and installation


• product portfolio


• price competitiveness


• account management.

Roundhere managing director Mary Dorrington Ward said: 'We have been helping the Council with product specification for several years and it is pleasing to be formally recognised as a preferred supplier.'

Roundhere has been appointed by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to supply and project manage the installation of furniture and storage systems at the new British Embassy building in Sana'a, Yemen.

The contract, won after a competitive tender, involves installing workstations, conference rooms, and specialised storage across two floors and overseeing the successful induction of Embassy staff.

Roundhere won the tender by offering a highly competitive price and an unmatched delivery, installation, service and support agreement, described by architects Design Engine as "exceptional". Roundhere staff have been security cleared to work in sensitive areas of the Embassy and will support the installation from associate offices in Dubai and Bahrain.

The two-year project will complete in October 2006.

Roundhere has completed the fit-out of the London corporate headquarters of Rentokil-Initial Plc at Belgrave House, Victoria.

Working with main contractor Overbury Plc, Roundhere achieved on-time perfect delivery of 24,000 sq ft to an exacting specification and schedule.

Rentokil held an exhaustive review process before appointing Roundhere to provide and install all the furniture, free standing lighting and executive office partitioning and wall systems for its new HQ.

The solution specified by Roundhere was based on desking and wall partition systems by Bene, boardroom chairs, visitor chairs, and task chairs by Vitra, and a mobile/flexible boardroom table system by Howe. Reception chairs were supplied by Lammhults, and lounge furniture by Orangebox/Giroflex. Free standing lighting was by Belux, roller racking by Bisley, and additional executive office furniture by Fritz Hansen.

For further information please contact: Mary Dorrington Ward, managing director on 01962 858290.

A Roundhere client has been named by the Sunday Times in its annual 'Best Company to Work For' survey. PRO Ltd, the recruitment, retention, and development consultancy, used Roundhere to upgrade its London office in Bedford Row WCI to make the formal interview rooms, boardroom, and informal lounge areas more in keeping with the high level clients it deals with.

Andrea Marshall, HR and marketing director at PRO, said: "Roundhere did a terrific job in providing us with creative and cost-effective solutions that we are really proud of. Nothing was too much trouble, and they were a pleasure to work with."

PRO was named recently as one of Europe's 500 fastest growing companies, having increased employment by 48% and turnover by 100% over the last five years.

For more information please contact: Mary Dorrington Ward, managing director on 01962 858290.