Victorian church transformed into new home for technology company
21st Century technology has been fitted but Victorian features have been preserved in the renovation of a Wolverhampton landmark to become the new home of a city company.
St Mark's Church in Chapel Ash is now the headquarters of business solutions software firm Technology Management after being unoccupied for two years since financial advice firm Torquil Clark moved out.
The church, which dates from 1844 and has connections with Wolves legend The Rev Kenneth Hunt, has undergone a conversion over the last three months.
The church now offers 15,000 sq ft of space on three floors for the 94-strong Technology Management team and room to grow.
Mr Crowter said his business was still recruiting and expected to top 100 employees in the next few weeks.
On Wednesday(JUne 8) an open day was held to show off the new premises to customers.
"We are delighted to finally move in and what a building St Mark's Church is. It's an exciting time for Technology Management and we are fortunate to have not just our dedicated team but also customers, some of which have been with us since the start 25 years ago, to share this day and support the firm through our next phase of growth.
"Whilst we are sorry to leave our offices in Waterloo Road, we've just run out of the space with staff numbers doubling in the past four years and our current plans suggest we will double again over the next four years," said Mr Crotter.
Technology Management's £1.75 million investment represents the purchase price as well as significant additional refurbishment and restoration costs. Phase one is now complete which means the team can move in with phases two and three planned to be undertaken over the next couple of years, with the clock and bells in the church's clock tower to be restored and floodlit and the wrought iron railings repaired and reinstated in their full glory.
Mr Crowter said: "The project wouldn't be possible without the help of our customers and local firms in the area in bringing the Grade II listed building to life.
"Where possible we have either sourced material and fixtures and fittings from local firms or our customers," he explained.
The firm specialises in supporting companies in manufacturing and distribution to improve profitability and growth through integrated software solutions that embrace information technology to automate and speed up processes, as well as shaping innovative new practices to create new revenue streams.
Mr Crowter said the company's roots were firmly in Wolverhampton and they had been determined to continue to service clients both locally and across the UK and internationally from the city.
He said the business had been at Waterloo Road for 16 years and those offices had has lots of character.
"When we talked to the staff they were keen to preserve some of that when we moved. When we saw St Mark's we knew it was the perfect place to do that.
"We have preserved features like the font and original stone pillars and stained glass, but it is now also a smart building with technology to ensure efficient working.
"The conversion work has involved putting in 24 miles of data cables and the latest screens and digital technology," said Mr Crowter.
The ground floor houses the development team with the first floor the main operations base and the top floor, featuring the original beams of the church and arches thate have been used to create meeting rooms of varied sizes. There is also an area for giving presentations to customers – mainly small to medium sized enterprises with up to 1,000 employees – and conducting training, which is equipped with a big screen.
Technology Management, which spends a six-figure sum on recruitment annually, is also recruiting graduates at the moment and hopes to attract applicants from the Black Country to join its graduate training programme.
Mr Crowter said the move to St Mark's Church was also enabling the business to enhance what it offered to employees to improve retention rates
*From 1898 to the 1920s the on site vicarage at St Mark's was the family home of the Rev Hunt, an FA Cup winner with Wolves who played for England and also won an Olympic gold medal.
He was the last amateur to have won an FA Cup winner's medal and also is the only man to have both an FA cup winner's medal and an Olympic gold medal.
He turned out for Wolves from 1907to 1920 and scored the opening goal in a 3-1 victory over Newcastle United in the 1908 cup final.
That same year he was part of the England team that won the men's football tournament at the London Olympics. Kenneth later went on to be ordained in 1908. The church is one of Wolverhampton's 'blue plaque' buildings, recognising its significance in the city's history.
