DFDS, which employs over 1,000 people on the Humber, have taken the first steps in creating a new combined commercial office in the area by purchasing seven acres of land on the Pioneer Park development, located in Stallingborough.
Plans are being made to create a modern and more sustainable building which will consolidate several of DFDS’s current office-based colleagues from various functional sites across the Humber into one, collaborative, central location.
Fran Williams, DFDS HR Director for the UK and Ireland, said: “We are delighted to announce this exciting news. At DFDS we put people at the heart of everything we do and so it’s important that we continually strive to offer our colleagues a high-quality working environment and a commercial building that showcases our business principles. The building will be much more energy efficient and less environmentally impactful than our existing facilities, and we hope to create a modern and collaborative environment to make working for DFDS even more attractive.
“The new facility will be accessible by public transport and a new bicycle route, and for many of our colleagues it reduces the journey distance and time, all of which help our mission to become a net-zero company.
Ms Williams added: “We are now at an advanced phase with this project, and we are working with architects and designers to finalise the building concept and design. Incorporating green spaces, relaxation, and recreation areas, are examples of the features this building will have that differentiate it from our existing facilities. It will offer an environment that will allow us to attract some of the best talent from surrounding areas as well as helping us to retain the highly skilled colleagues that we already have. It’s exciting to think we will have a building that will look and feel as good as our professional values and vision.”
Cllr Philip Jackson, Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “This is great news and we’re really pleased to welcome DFDS to the Pioneer Park development having chosen North East Lincolnshire for their new office. We welcome the investment in our local economy which will support jobs and growth in the area.”
The new flagship building will initially be home to a large proportion of DFDS office-based employees and will be future proofed with the space to expand when needed. Operational colleagues will remain close to the operation as needed.
The 1,000 people employed by DFDS on the Humber includes office-based staff alongside those working in the company’s terminal, warehouses, cold stores and trucks.
