Gilbert-Ash expands global footprint with Sri Lanka project win
Wednesday 18th June 2014
Gilbert-Ash has won a new £2 million project in Sri Lanka to refurbish the offices of the British High Commission. Gilbert-Ash has been working with the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office for 20 years, providing fit-out and construction services for British Embassies, Consulates & High Commissions around the world. To date the company has completed projects in 36 countries including Australia, Guyana, Trinidad, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Indonesia as well as many countries in Europe.
Gilbert-Ash’s team will leave for Sri Lanka in July and will spend the next 7 months working there on the refurbishment of the offices. The High Commission’s 3000 square metre building was originally constructed in 2007, and one of the first tasks the company must undertake is to eradicate damage caused by termites which are prevalent in the region.
UK Embassies and Consulates are very high profile projects as they represent the ‘public image’ of the UK in the host country. Many of the Embassy buildings occupy prestigious historical buildings and therefore require specialist skills in heritage and restoration. For example the company worked on the refurbishment and fit-out of the British Embassy building in Paris, which was built in 1722 and designed by the same architect as the French Prime Minister’s official residence.
The projects are challenging as they require working in live Embassy buildings with high levels of security and restricted access in city centre locations.
Ray Hutchinson Managing Director of Gilbert-Ash commented “We are very pleased to have won the British High Commission project in Sri Lanka. We have built up a very skilled, rapid deployment team over the last two decades, to undertake these highly challenging projects. Every project requires a thorough knowledge of the businesses practices and cultural nuances in each market. This means that our staff have to be able to work and fit in with a wide range of nationalities and personalities on each project, which is testimony to their adaptability and can-do attitude”.
