TUI’s new Luton HQ opens

TUI UK expects to save more than £6 million a year as a result of its head-office move to Luton.

The new Wigmore House head office opened this week with the first batch of staff – around 75 publishing employees – relocating from Camden’s Greater London House.

Around 600 GLH staff will switch to Luton in 10 separate moves from now until Christmas. The office will house around 800 permanent staff including Thomsonfly employees, staff moving from Coventry and new employees to replace the 200 who left the business due to the relocation.

TUI northern Europe business integration manager Martin Hardy said the move out of GLH and the closure of seven other Thomsonfly offices in Luton will save the company more than £6 million a year in occupancy costs.

The multiple has invested more than £10 million in the new office, which is designed to change the operator’s working culture. All management offices have been scrapped and replaced with open-plan office space and departmental meeting rooms. Even northern Europe chief executive and UK managing director Peter Rothwell no longer has an office.

Hardy – in charge of the relocation since Rothwell gave him the task in February 2004 – said previously Thomson had 450 management offices, now replaced by 48 meeting rooms. He believes the company could save up to 30% a year on its lighting bills due to its censor lighting system. The office will also operate a centralised clean-desk policy, which sees desk bins replaced with recycling points.

Hardy said: “As an airline we can be criticised for not being good for the environment. But with the head office we can show we care and can do our bit to help.”