Apostolides - Three generations of family success in Thames Gateway London
Ever wondered who is responsible for moving the dinosaurs from the Natural History Museum? Or where the Daleks from Dr Who are stored when not being used for filming by the BBC? You need more than just a regular van for jobs like these, along with specialist expertise to deal with the most complex of removal problems.
The answer lies with Apostolides, an East London family firm that has been based in the area for almost 70 years. Established in 1937 they provide commercial relocation and storage solutions to a wide range of companies - large, small, run of the mill and out of the ordinary. A large proportion of these are based in the City, but Apostolides work throughout London and the UK.
Apostolides originally operated out of a head office in Walthamstow and after having sold the site to residential developers, the company needed to:
- Quickly find a new freehold site from which they could run their operations
- Consolidate their two existing operations in Walthamstow and Rainham
- Stay close to the City and their client base there
- Remain close to the pool of 100 or so skilled employees that they rely upon on a flexible basis
Gateway to London's Role
Apostolides approached Gateway to London to assist them in finding a new site in early 2004 following a recommendation from a partner company. In addition to catering for the growth of the business, the company had quite specific criteria for the type and location of the premises they were seeking, including:
- A high building on a square site
- Excellent data communications to support their internet based storage system
- Good road access to the City and West End
Gateway to London carried out a thorough property search and provided a number of options including the chosen site in Dagenham Dock. While the property search was being conducted, Gateway to London also engaged the LDA to discuss 'Selective Finance for Investment' (SFI) grant support for the project, something Apostolides had not previously considered. The application was successful and the firm was awarded a grant for �100,000 in December 2004.
Following the property search Apostolides referred a company to Gateway to London with whom they were working in close partnership and who were also looking to move. Gateway to London was then able to approach the developer for the preferred Dagenham Dock site with a joint proposal from the two companies. Based on a phased occupation, this met the needs of both companies and the developer's minimum occupancy requirements.
Gateway to London also used its network of local contacts in the business community to introduce Apostolides to other businesses moving into the area as well as local service providers.
The Company's View
Mac Apostolides, Director, Apostolides
"Having worked with a number of other agencies Gateway to London are miles apart from anyone else. When they came to see us for the first time we felt they really knew what they were talking about and were prepared to get up and do something to help us rather than just talk. Gateway to London knew about sites before they had even been advertised which allowed us to be looking at the best sites first.
"They have done a lot of good work in the area generally in helping pick up the local economy through their connections in the local business communities and have introduced us to local suppliers which we now use as well as companies we are now working for. Their support has been invaluable and continuous. We will definitely use Gateway to London again when we expand in the future and start looking for additional space."
Outcomes
Apostolides moved into their new 25,000 sq ft head office and warehouse in December and the design and build phase for their partner company commenced in June. With the business growing well Apostolides have plans to start looking for an additional site soon and Gateway to London will be involved from the outset in this project. There are 25 full-time jobs currently on site in Dagenham Dock, between 50 and 100 part time jobs have been safeguarded and there is now the possibility of many more jobs being created in the future.
