£7m Fife expansion in frame for Velux

Roof window manufacturer Velux has announced a £7 million expansion to its UK and Ireland headquarters in Fife.

Councillor Altany Craik (left) with the Velux team before work begins on the office expansion. Picture: Velux

The firm’s head office building in Glenrothes will be renovated to include a 3,500 metre new build structure, housing a customer service centre, training facilities, office space, meeting suite and a staff restaurant.

Construction of the building, designed by Sinclair Watt Architects to sit alongside the existing office structure, will be managed by Glasgow-based contractor ISG.

The £7m building will showcase Velux products such as its modular skylight system, flat roof windows and sun tunnels.

News of Velux’s office expansion may bring a boost to the local area, after the business scaled back its Fife operations by closing down its manufacturing facility in 2015, with the loss of around 180 jobs.

Mick Schou Rasmussen, managing director of Velux UK and Ireland, said: “Once completed, the new building will provide our existing employees with a much improved working environment and accommodate any increase in headcount in the future.

“The new building has also allowed us to decrease our estate’s footprint by selling off a number of vacant buildings to growing local businesses, in turn boosting the local economy.

“Velux is committed to having a strong presence in Glenrothes, Fife, so it is great to see work start on the new building at a time when the company is going from strength to strength.”

Councillor Altany Craik of Fife Council said the plans showed commitment to the area. He said: “It is fantastic to see a local business expanding and growing like this.

“There is no doubt this will help Velux continue to be a leading roof window business in the UK and it clearly shows their commitment to developing their operation in Fife.”