Accountancy firm Johnston Carmichael has completed its move to the Elgin Business Park.
Last year, we revealed planning chiefs gave the green light for the firm to build a new open place office at site 14A in the park next to the A96 Aberdeen road.
Now the firm’s new office has opened, welcoming their 110 team members.
For years, Johnston Carmichael was in Commerce House on South Street.
In 1936, the company was founded in Moray.
Elgin native at the helm
For Elgin native Scott Dunbar, the departure from South Street is an end of an era.
In 2008, he first joined the business’s internal team to do their own books.
Now he is the Elgin office head and business advisory partner.
Why move to the Elgin Business Park?
He says the opportunity to relocate to a new state-of-the-art office space at Elgin Business Park designed to meet their needs was attractive.
They also looked at offices to remain in the Elgin town centre before making the decision, but those weren’t suitable.
Mr Dunbar said: “Three years ago, we assessed our office space.
“This wasn’t driven by an immediate need to move.
“We had a good space on South Street and did look at adapting the office for digital advancements and the changing way our employees work.
“However, we discovered it was clear the building was no longer the best working environment.”
He added: “The next stage, we looked at a number of Elgin town centre properties, but none were suitable for our needs.
“This was because some spaces were not large enough and with fast broadband being essential, the cost of installing it would have been significant.”
Open plan layout for new Elgin office
The new office is open plan and has breakout spaces to encourage collaborations between people and clients.
It also features electric vehicle charging points and solar panels.
He explained: “One of the key things we’ve heard from our teams is the need for open plan working spaces so different teams can work together.
“So when the opportunity came about at Elgin Business Park to get a purpose built office, it was a no brainer.”
Elgin business park: Who else is there?
The £12million Elgin Business Park is backed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise. It is next to the A96 Aberdeen road on the eastern approach to the town.
The park was launched amid concerns about a lack of space for businesses in Moray to expand. It was also hoped it would attract new firms to the region.
We previously revealed MacGregor Industrial Supplies were building a new branch at the park amid expansion plans.
Meanwhile, Elgin family-run firm Russell Construction will move to out-of-town premises too.
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