Velux to invest £7 million in Fife headquarters

WINDOWS: Expansion plans come as firm’s UK operation posts record sales

Roof windows firm Velux has announced plans for a £7 million expansion to its UK headquarters in Glenrothes.

A new building will be linked to its existing HQ and will integrate a variety of Velux’s skylights, flat roof windows and sun tunnels.

Designed by Sinclair Watt Architects, it will house a new customer service centre, training facilities, office space, meeting suite and a staff restaurant.

Glasgow-based main contractor ISG will deliver the project in autumn next year.

Mick Schou Rasmussen, managing director of Velux UK and Ireland, said: “Once completed, the new building will provide our existing employees with a much improved working environment and accommodate any increase in head count in the future.

“The new building has also allowed us to decrease our estate’s footprint by selling off a number of vacant buildings to growing local businesses, in turn boosting the local economy. Velux is committed to having a strong presence in Glenrothes, Fife, so it is great to see work start on the new building at a time when the company is going from strength to strength.”

The expansion plans come as sales on Velux’s UK operation rose by more than £10m last year.

Newly filed accounts show the firm, which is part of the Danish VKR Holdings group, produced sales of £165m for the year ending December 31 2017, up from £154.3m in 2016. Pre-tax profits increased from £3.4m to £3.6m.

The firm’s staff increased from 252 to 274 last year.

Brexit is identified as one of the risks facing the company as well as changes to legislation and new products developed by competitors.

The Velux group has a presence in more than 40 countries worldwide. The Fife operation was originally established in 1954.

The plan for the new building which will be connected to the existing headquarters to the right.