Cornwall-based broadband provider Wildanet has been celebrating the official opening of its new Westbourne House headquarters in Liskeard following an extensive refurbishment project.
The Grade II listed landmark building has been totally transformed as the company accelerates the roll-out of its gigabit-capable fibre and wireless network to towns and villages across Cornwall and Devon, and the wider Southwest.
Westbourne House can now accommodate around 80 Wildanet staff from a workforce of more than 130 as the business continues its rapid growth. What was a dilapidated tired old building from 1816 has been brought back to life, bringing high quality jobs to the heart of Liskeard.
Westbourne House was officially opened by South East Cornwall MP, Sheryll Murray, during a special celebration event last Friday (Sep 30). She was joined by North Cornwall MP, Scott Mann, in cutting the ribbon.
Murray said: “I have been closely following progress on Westbourne House and am delighted at how the building has been transformed. It speaks volumes for Wildanet’s commitment to Cornwall and the local community, and its determination to deliver fast, reliable internet in order to create opportunity for all.”
Wildanet chief executive, Helen Wylde, added: “We are thrilled to bring this much-loved landmark back into use and have been overwhelmed by the positive response from local people.
“Being at the heart of the communities we serve is very important to Wildanet and revitalising this historic building is testament to that. Wildanet is dedicated to delivering our business objectives within the context of our ESG strategy (Environmental, Sustainability and Governance), therefore finding a building that we could ‘reuse’ rather than building from scratch was very important to us.
“It also gives us the space to grow as a business and continue to invest in the training and development of our people as we expand our network across Cornwall and the south west. 91% of our colleagues come from Cornwall and Devon, and we are passionate about local talent and helping people to be the best they can be.”
Wylde also took the opportunity to extend her thanks on behalf of the team, to Wildanet founder Ian Calvert, who is about to move to a non-executive director role on the Wildanet board, saying: “Westbourne House really was Ian’s brainchild and were it not for his vision, drive and determination, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
