Baudet has more than 17 years’ experience manufacturing prefabricated pods, supplying over 100,000 units worldwide. The company’s pods offer a high-quality, cost-effective and extremely practical solution for ‘drop-in and go’ ready-made bathrooms across a multitude of multi-dwelling occupancy installations including hotels, hospitals and halls of residences.
To date Baudet has cornered almost 25 percent of the UK education marketplace. Previous projects can be found throughout the UK in halls of residences at universities including Cambridge, Imperial College, London, Birmingham, Durham and Edinburgh. Last year alone 3000 students at nine universities enjoyed the benefits of brand new private facilities in their halls of residence.
A further 400 units have been installed this year in UK hotels.
By opening the facility located in Coleshill, Warwickshire, Baudet will be able to focus directly on its UK clients and ensure contractors and architects get all the technical information, design assistance and after-care they need to ensure their projects run on time and to budget. Simon Merckel has been appointed general manager, bringing with him over 19 years of experience in the UK construction industry.
“We’re really making a name for ourselves in the UK market and felt that the time was right to launch a base here,” said Simon. “By cutting out the middle man, we can offer invaluable, specialist support to our clients at the same time as growing the business. It’s great to join the company at such an exciting phase of its development.”
Commenting on the decision to open a UK office, chairman of the Baudet Group Benoit Durand said, “ We are already a leading player in the UK pod marketplace. As a result of setting up our own operation in Britain, our aim is to become the market leader within the next three years through delivering unrivalled quality of service and product to customers.”
The office has already clinched its first orders to supply 76 units for student accommodation in Preston City Centre for private developer, Sharples Limited, and 144 units for Provian Construction Ltd., building a new accommodation block at Greenwich University.
Baudet’s range of high quality pods is manufactured in France ready for quick on-site installation of under three hours per unit. The interior finish of the pods can be specified to suit the design requirements of each development with a fully bespoke option available on high volume orders (over 200 pods). The pods are extremely hygienic because of the specialist polyester gel coat material used, making them an ideal solution for hospital refurbishments or new-builds. |