Wallingford: Quality of life attracts KKDC Design House to Howbery Business Park

Quality of life has prompted the relocation of KKDC Design House, a Korean lighting company, from London to the leafy environs of Howbery Business Park near Wallingford. The move brings with it job creation for creative individuals in the region.

KKDC Design House is the product-design and marketing arm of KKDC, an international architectural-lighting manufacturer specialising in LED. The company has taken The Lodge, a recently-renovated 863 sq ft site at the business park, and it is already recruiting.

Tim Young, head of design, explained: “The advancement of remote working technologies means physical location plays less of a role in staying competitive and enabling us to communicate effectively across continents. As the global creative arm of an international manufacturer, unlike a sales office we are not solely reliant on being located in the capital, providing we still have reasonable access to London when required and close proximity to Heathrow. 

“We had no desire to end up on an industrial type office park and thought our options might be limited. But after we identified Oxford and the surrounding area as the place to be, we were fortunate to discover Howbery Business Park where The Lodge, with its office space and garden, was soon to be available. It has all been so easy, it’s as if it was meant to be.”

Howbery Business Park is owned by HR Wallingford and has planning permission to create 70,000 sq ft of new office space.