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288 Group Ltd move loss for Watford as big gain for Poole (From Business in Dorset)
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288 Group Ltd move loss for Watford as big gain for Poole
11:25am Monday 8th February 2010
CHASING efficiency has fuelled a £5m move to Poole by a former Hertfordshire company.
288 Group Ltd operates stamp, coin and babysitting businesses and has relocated its entire operation to a purpose-built 40,000sq ft facility at Aston Way, Mannings Heath, funded by chairman Stephen Allen.
In a bid to become more cost effective, Mr Allen decided to close his five offices in Watford, offering his staff the opportunity to move south.
Some did, apart from his most successful salesman, who generates £1m a year, who stayed there.
The remaining 100 or so vacancies were filled with the help of exhibiting at Daily Echo Recruitment fairs and using local agencies.
The new location, which was built using local firms, houses a small call centre staffed by around 30 people, an IT department and finance and personnel functions, which look after the needs of all the businesses.
It also has a 25,000sq ft warehouse, enabling the group to “ship 10 to 20,000 orders a week”, according to Mr Allen.
“The largest part of the business is the Westminster Collection, which accounts for 80 per cent of sales and profit,” Mr Allen said.
He added that at various times it has sold die-cast models, figurines, prints and, most recently, jewellery.
288 Group employs 150 staff and generates revenues of around £20m.
NEW BASE: Stephen Allen spent £30,000 on a dramatic lighting system as part of a public art commitment which helped secure planning permission
