Farnell invests £6m to upgrade global head office

Up to 500 Farnell employees returning to the premises in Leeds, UK will find facilities with significantly enhanced sustainability credentials, including energy delivered from 100% renewable sources, zero waste going to landfill and space for 40 electric vehicles to be charged on-site per day.

As well as upgraded environmental features throughout, the building now benefits from better lighting, fresh air ventilation and roof insulation, as well as having zonal temperature control ensuring comfortable working conditions all year round.

In addition, access throughout the site has been amended to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act, including the installation of a brand new lift allowing wheelchair access between floors and new washroom facilities located on each floor.

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin, Councillor James Lewis, Leader of Leeds City Council, Leeds City Council CEO Tom Riordan and Maxine Smeaton, CEO of Farnell’s longstanding charity partner Epilepsy Research UK, officially declared the Canal Road reopen on 6^th September 2022.

Taking 12 months to complete, the global head office has been designed to embrace changes in the ways that employees now work at Farnell, with a mix of full-time office occupation and hybrid homeworking.

The building now benefits from flexible functional hubs and collaborative spaces, while an impressive balcony area offers the opportunity to work outside when the Yorkshire weather allows. 

Smart new meeting rooms are Microsoft Teams compatible with improved AV equipment, while Wi-Fi and mobile phone coverage has been boosted throughout to give staff and visitors better connectivity throughout the office.

Chris Breslin, Farnell Global President, said: “This is a proud day in Farnell’s 84 year history in the UK. The Canal Road refit has seen the business make a multi-million pound investment to bring all of our head office colleagues into a space that we can all be proud of. After what has been a monumental makeover we have brought our global head office back to life to become a workplace which is transformative, modern and meets our new ways of working, while showcasing Farnell as an industry leader and a great place to work.”

The redevelopment of the head office is Farnell’s latest significant investment in Leeds, following the multi-million pound investment in a new distribution centre built in 2019.

Open for business: l to r; Rob Rospedzhowski, Farnell President Sales, EMEA, Tracy Brabin, West Yorkshire Mayor, Chris Breslin, Farnell Global President.

Employing over 700 people, the state of the art facility with floor area measuring 40,000msq serves Farnell customers across the whole of the EMEA region.