IQ Through the Ages

"Between 2020 and 2021, the total business population decreased by 390,000 (6.5%)." (FSB.org.uk). This is the largest decrease since the total business population decreased by 0.5% between 2017 and 2018.

While so many companies were hit by the economy slow down due to Brexit, COVID and material cost rises, you cannot help but be pleased, proud and thankful when you are part of an organisation which grows year on year.

At our recent friends and family showroom event - aimed to show off our amazing new office space - it was shocking to me that so many of the people who work for us now don't know where we started, how we have grown and how we have evolved year on year.

I am a firm believer that pictures are worth more than words so here is my short and picture led history of the IQ Glass Group.

2004 to 2007

The group was founded in 2004 and were based in various small offices in Watford through our first years. In 2007 we moved to a small office above a warehouse on Caxton Way, Watford. What was left of the old mezzanine office can be seen in the above picture from 2014.

2007 to 2014

We heavily developed the site in Watford, adding a purpose built office to match our growing company and workforce. We built a new office building on site with a first floor extension soon after to support our rapid growth.

2012 to 2014

We bought an old warehouse building in 2012 and spent two years refurbing the site to our new warehouse, offices and showroom called Sky House. The building needed a lot of work before it would be suitable to be the home for IQ.

2014 to 2018

We moved into Sky House in February 2014. I remember that when we first moved in we didn't know how we were going to use all that space. But with our continued growth we quickly filled Sky House with an amazing team that just kept growing.

The interior of the offices and the showrooms changed and evolved over time. Meeting rooms and storage cupboards were opened up to create more desk space. We extended into the warehouse in various places to increase the working space that we had.

2018

In 2018 we purchased the land adjacent to Sky House which had previously been used as a car lot. Here, we commissioned the construction of 7 industrial units, three of which we would retain for our warehousing and one to be used as our factory.

The build began in May 2018 and was completed in November 2018.

The construction of these units allowed us to move our warehousing (which was currently held in the front areas of Sky House) to purpose built units right next door. This then opened up areas of Sky House for our biggest renovation since we moved in.

2020 to 2022

We started the major construction for our changes to Sky House in 2020. The COVID pandemic meant that we could take advantage of the offices being empty and the showroom closed to complete massive renovations internally and externally.

We partially demolished the middle warehousing unit at Sky House to make way for a steel and glass box which would act as our new reception. The warehouse doors to the left of the building were removed and replaced with a 6m tall automated sliding door with 6m high vertical sash window. The warehouse doors to the right were removed and replaced with slim bi-folds with mirror glass cladding.

There were further renovations inside where our two warehousing units had previously been. These have been completely renovated to include a vast glazing showroom area.

2022 and Onwards

We still have a couple of additions and improvements to make to Sky House (with new showroom areas and a greater variety of architectural glazing solutions on show) in the first half of 2022. But our doors are very much open for architects and specifiers to see what is possible from architectural glazing.

We wanted to push the boundaries; to create a space that showed architects what is possible from glazing design. Whether that is the 6m tall sliding door, a floating all glass meeting room or the array of specialist framing finishes.

Our grand opening will be at the end of 2022 but if you want to come and get a preview of Sky House before everyone else just let me know. We are already hosting architects and specifiers for specialist CPD days and tours with the variety of professionals based at Sky House.

IQ Glass Group Global HQ: Sky House, Raans Road, Amersham, HP6 6JQ