Forensic science specialist looking to grow team by 30 after high-spec fit out of Coventry base
A forensic science specialist is hoping to grow its team by 30 and double its capacity after an expansion and high-spec refurbishment of its Coventry lab and offices.
Key Forensic Services (KFS), based in Herald Court at the University of Warwick Science Park, have had their interior space transformed by fit-out specialists Sandell Group.
The firm, which employs 240 staff across Herald Court and its sites in Norwich and Warrington, performs a range of high-quality forensic tests for bodies such as police forces and government agencies around DNA identification, drugs, toxicology, firearms analysis, and more.
It had seen a significant increase in demand from its customers around England and Wales, and needed to recruit and expand to handle the new workload.
Des Vanhinsbergh, Managing Director at KFS, said: “After refocusing the scope of our business to provide critical services for the criminal justice system, we began to win a lot more work.
“This was great news, but it meant that we needed a quick solution to expand in a short timeframe while still delivering what our customers needed.
“When space became available at Herald Court for us to expand into, we thought it could be the solution we needed, but we had to ensure any expansion was done in good time and to a high standard.”
After speaking to John Roberts, Head of Property at the University of Warwick Science Park, to see what could be done, KFS were introduced to Sandell Group (UK) Ltd to take on the work.
Craig Bennett, Commercial Development Lead at KFS, was in regular contact with, Alexander Halloway-Churchill, Interior Designer at Sandell, as well as Steve Underwood, Contracts Manager at Sandell, around the designs and the construction of the new space.
Sandell were happy to take on advice from KFS’s team around how its new lab space should be laid out to maximise efficiency and both sides worked closely with each other throughout the six-month turnaround.
“The process was incredibly smooth for us,” Craig said.
“The Sandell team managed the project on our behalf, creating excellent designs and completing the fit-out in the timeframe we needed to help us fulfil demand and double our capacity.
“Having them work with our team on the lab was really important to us. Too often, these design decisions are made without the key users of the space in mind, and it means we will hit the ground running once in we settle into the new lab.
“We are so pleased with the final fit-out. It’s going to be a brilliant work environment for our current staff, an inviting place for new staff to work, and equally impressive to prospective customers as we look to grow our business.”
Nissar Khan, Head of Business Development at Sandell Group, said: “We have worked with many clients with tight turnaround times for refurbishments, so we knew we could deliver for Key Forensic Services.
“Being able to work directly with KFS at every stage meant decisions could be made quickly, and our experience in high-spec fit-outs meant the finished product was exactly what they were looking for.
“We hope their new lab and offices at Herald Court will allow them to grow their workforce and meet their customers’ demand as they hoped.”
John Roberts, Head of Property at the University of Warwick Science Park, added: “When space at Herald Court became available, we thought it would be a great opportunity for KFS to take advantage of.
“We’re delighted that by working with Sandell, KFS now has a bigger, better lab and office space delivered quickly. It’ll be great to see KFS welcome new staff to Herald Court and continue to thrive there over the years.”
