Member Article

Knight Frank brokers Rank deal in Sheffield

Leading British leisure and gaming company The Rank Group Plc is opening a centre of customer excellence in Sheffield, initially creating more than 60 jobs with a view to further expansion later in the year.

Rank, whose brands include Grosvenor Casinos, the UK’s largest casino operator and Mecca Bingo, is moving into Navigation House in Victoria Quays.

In a deal brokered by the Yorkshire office agency team of global property consultancy Knight Frank, Rank are leasing 9,000 sq ft of quality Grade A office space in the detached modern building.

Eamon Fox, partner and head of Knight Frank’s office agency team in Leeds, commented: “This is tremendous news for Sheffield, providing a timely boost to the city’s increasingly strong economy. Rank’s move will create more than 100 sustainable jobs at this new centre of excellence.

“It is also a ringing endorsement of Sheffield’s reputation for having a skilled and competitive workforce. Rank looked at a number of options for their new contact centre, and the fact they chose Sheffield speaks volumes,” said Mr Fox.

Peter Whiteley, partner and head of office agency at Knight Frank in Sheffield, explained: “Navigation House is the perfect base for Rank in Sheffield. It forms part of the established Victoria Quays Development at the canal basin and is well-positioned close to the main bus and rail stations.

“Nearby occupiers include Lloyds Bank, Nabarro Nathanson Solicitors and the Hilton Hotel. Moreover, Navigation House has just been fully refurbished providing flexible, comfort-cooled office space within a unique waterside City Centre location”,” said Mr Whiteley.

Mr Fox added: “Sheffield now has a deserved reputation for being a centre of digital excellence and Rank’s move to Navigation House certainly enhances this. This is a superb deal for all concerned.”

Rank’s Customer Services Director Liam Smith commented “Rank looked carefully at a number of locations for our new Customer Services Hub, and Sheffield was chosen primarily for two key reasons; its skilled and competitive workforce, and the investment in the City’s regeneration and development. The new Rank centre, which will open in September, represents a significant investment by the group for our employees and customers, and we look forward to a long and successful relationship with Sheffield.”

Building Owner David Lynch of Downham Properties Ltd commented “We are delighted that The Rank Group chose Navigation House, we trust it will prove to be a superb home for their business. We have recently fully refurbished the building, let the second floor to Parexel, now let the first floor and only have the ground floor of approximately 9,000 sq ft available”.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Robert Beaumont .