It was just over two years’ ago when RUDDINGTON.info reported plans to build a four-storey car park at Ruddington Fields Business Park. After a slight redesign during the planning approval process, it has now been officially opened.
However, this parking is not for public use, but for staff and visitors to the headquarters of MHR Global – the Ruddington based HR, payroll and analytics provider. It’s part of a major building expansion project which began with the opening of ‘Wellington House’ – which houses MHR’s software teams. This was followed by a £3million refurbishment of ‘Britannia House’ completed last year, which is said to provide a more modern, open plan working environment for up to 350 employees.
The new, 190-vehicle site cost £4.5million to build – to offer free, undercover parking for MHR employees who travel here from all over the Midlands. Previously there was a surface car park (pictured below), with just 66 spaces, where the new building now stands. Its eco-friendly replacement features electric vehicle charging points and a solar panelled roof which supplements the power consumed on site.
Its construction should alleviate potential traffic issues with staff and visitors having to park along Mere Way – a stretch of road which has become very congested recently due to long term work at the roundabout compounded by extra visitors parking for Rushcliffe Country Park. Certainly after ‘lockdown’ MHR’s new multi-storey is likely to be very well used, with more than 100 new specialist employees joining the company in Ruddington this year and the firm saying it will recruit a further 30 new roles within the next quarter.
“MHR has continued to welcome new customers from across the UK, Europe and APAC in 2020, bucking the trend of the global downturn, leaving MHR optimistic and ambitious about the future” says Chairman John Mills, pictured below with Executive Vice Chairman Jessica Mills, Tom Sewell, Stepnell Regional Director and Mark Wakeford, Stepnell Managing Director.
“The market for next-generation HR, payroll and engagement solutions is buoyant, and in the current environment it’s good to know our success is creating new jobs for the East Midlands, around the UK and beyond” he continues. “As well as investing in new facilities that offer excellent environmentally-friendly credentials and free secure parking, we have continued to invest in employee development to attract the best HR and analytics talent to serve our customers, and we are proud to have gained rather than lost headcount in this most challenging of years.”
Mr Mills adds: “Our employees are key to our success and we are delighted to open this new facility. We employ a large number of people throughout the Midlands and further afield, and I believe that at a very minimum all employees and visitors should have guaranteed parking which is safe and secure when working at or visiting our sites. We’re also very pleased that this will contribute to easing the parking along Mere Way.”
Mark Wakeford, managing director at Stepnell Construction, says: “We are really pleased to have completed another significant project for MHR. It is our fourth project with MHR in the last four years, and it is great to work with such a well-known major employer within the East Midlands. We have previously carried out both new build and refurbishment projects for MHR and this latest project is a testament to our strong working relationship with the company. MHR is committed to creating a great environment for its current and future employees and we hope to partner with them again in the future.”
It was planned the car park would be opened in May 2020, but it took rather longer to put the finishing touches to the new building than anticipated, due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
{New car park opening staff photo and aerial view photo courtesy of MHR Global}
