Affordable housing developer AJC Group has purchased a new, larger headquarters in Ringwood as it prepares to expand its workforce and increase its presence across the South.
The Dorset-founded SME has relocated from Poole to Headlands Business Park in Ringwood, Hampshire. The new office is a third larger than its previous base, providing capacity for up to 25 additional employees over the next few years.
The strategic move and investment come as AJC targets further growth across Hampshire, West Sussex and the Thames Valley, where it already has a pipeline of around 350 plots coming forward over the next two years.
AJC is also ahead of schedule on its ‘500 in 5’ mission to deliver 500 affordable homes by 2028. Since launching the initiative three years ago, 232 homes have been completed and handed over, with another 171 under construction – taking the total delivered or in build to 403.
David Cracklen, Director of AJC Group, said:
“Purchasing our new headquarters is a big step for AJC and reflects how far the business has come. We’ve grown significantly over the past few years and this move gives us the space and capacity to take that growth further.
“We’re proud of our roots in Dorset and will continue investing here, but there is a huge opportunity to take what we do into new areas. We have ambitious plans for Hampshire, West Sussex and the Thames Valley, and our new headquarters puts us in a strong position to deliver them.
“Most importantly, our growth will enable us to deliver more genuinely affordable homes for local communities. We’re continuing to invest in our team, creating new jobs and generating further opportunities for the local businesses and trades we work with.”
The company’s recent growth has already seen three new appointments, with Ben Bache joining as Trainee Site Manager, Lauren Bowers-Gibbs as Front of House Administrator and Brandon Arnold as Quantity Surveyor.
AJC Group works with housing associations and local authorities to deliver affordable housing and regeneration projects. Its current construction programme includes apartments at West Walks in Dorchester, 49 homes at Glue Hill in Sturminster Newton, 40 apartments and houses at the former Buzz Bingo site in central Bournemouth, and the major Hawkwood Road regeneration in Boscombe, to deliver 68 apartments alongside commercial and community space.