A ribbon cutting ceremony has marked the opening of British Sugar’s new front of house facility in Bury St Edmunds – as the sugar factory celebrates its 100th anniversary.
The 800 square meter, two-storey building was officially opened on Friday April 11, with the ribbon cut by the sugar factory’s longest serving member of staff, Malcolm Stevens, who has worked for the company since 1978.
Construction of the facility was undertaken by Thurston-based Seamans Building and the building designed by Bury-based architects Fabric First.
Matt Coe, Front of House Project Manager at British Sugar, said: “As the Bury site celebrates its 100th year of operation, it was a real honour to be project manager of its striking, new front of house building.
“From design through to build, we have worked with a brilliant range of local contractors, including Seamans, who have brought our ideas to life.
“From the building’s superior environmental credentials to the high standard of finish, I’d like to thank everyone for their involvement and dedication over the course of the project.
“It’s been a real collaborative effort and has led to an extremely successful project.
“This building sets out our commitment to the local area and we can’t wait to make ourselves at home.”
Scores of people involved in the project celebrated the grand opening, along with staff from British Sugar.
To pay homage to the site’s history, the building includes a wall of images from the factory’s past.
James Purnell, Senior Contracts Manager at Seamans, said: “It’s great to be part of a project like this in our local area – the sugar factory is such an important part of Bury St Edmunds and a landmark in this part of Suffolk.
“The collaborative approach taken throughout the build has been great and the feedback we have had on the building has been fantastic.
“We are extremely proud to be involved in the project.”