Our work

The brief

In 2019 pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squib (BMS) acquired Celgene. Our brief was to consolidate their two office locations into one newly expanded facility in Uxbridge, London, relocating over 400 Celgene staff in accordance with BMS’s refurbishment and expansion plans.

We provided project management services from the early planning stages, taking care of the offsite furniture storage and removals at the BMS site ready for construction works. This was followed by the clearance of all furniture and office equipment and the complete closure of the Celgene site. This was all achieved in line with the client’s project programme and timescales. We minimised waste by recycling unwanted furniture and donating unwanted office equipment to local charities and schools.

And we managed the whole project while complying with government COVID-19 restrictions.

The project

Phase One

Ground Floor planning and furniture removal

YWS played a pivotal role during the early stages of planning by liaising with the client’s project team, the appointed architect, and the facilities manager. We helped to determine which furniture was to be disposed of and which was to be stored offsite. We project managed the entire process from removals, to sourcing an appropriate offsite storage solution, transportation and recycling. This was all in accordance with the project team’s timescales and we remained flexible at all times to meet this.

Phase Two

Personal packing

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, employees were not permitted on site to clear their own office space. This wasn’t an issue for us, and we packed 400 individual workstations, kitchen equipment and communal areas into crates. We made contact with employees, organised transport routes and personally delivered 160 personal boxes to employees’ homes.

Phase Three

Floors 1 and 2 furniture removal

YWS worked closely with the client’s architect and construction company to move and store furniture onsite. Furniture was stored on the designated floors, often at reduced capacity and moved in accordance with the refurbishment schedule. We recycled any unwanted furniture and sourced and liaised with multiple charities to donate furniture and office supplies.

Phase Four

Departmental office clearance

YWS was the single point of contact for all 400+ staff. Departmental ambassadors were appointed, and we supervised staff attendance in line with continued COVID-19 restrictions. We planned and coordinated all removals and supervised the off-site archiving of 740 boxes and managed the spreadsheets with the US to meet their records retention guidelines.

In addition, we managed suppliers on the client’s behalf, including catering, cleaning, security, health and safety.

Phase Five

Final office clearance and closure

YWS was responsible for the full building clearance. This included running weekly virtual workshops with all departments, particularly IT.

The results

99.6% waste recycled and donated

Only 2 waste management containers used

79,459kg of furniture diverted from landfill

70,702 kg/CO2e saving

Waste diverted from landfill by recycling or donating

277 chairs
718 desktops
248 pedestals
559 storage units 

449 computer screens

Charities/schools donated to;
The Hope Hub, British Heart Foundation, Churches Together Food Bank,
Ryefield School, Collingwood College, The Salvation Army, Business 4 schools, Claxton House Community Centre, Crawley Ridge Junior School.