Glasgow agency The Marketing Department to open new headquarters in historic Govan building

What’s happening? Rising demand has seen Glasgow-based marketing, design and events agency The Marketing Department (TMD) open a new headquarters in Govan.

The company has been located in Bath Street in the city centre since 2017 but has signed a five-year lease on larger office space within the historic Fairfield Govan Heritage Centre and Workspace.

TMD’s new studio is based at the former headquarters of Fairfield, the most successful ship designers and builders of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Why it matters: This moves brings new life to the Fairfield Building, which is located within the Central Govan Conservation Area.

The A-listed building, which was built between 1889 and 1891, has been restored in a £5.8 million project to provide a heritage centre and office accommodation.

The office space is also run by Govan Workspace, with any excess profit going back into the local community.

The former drawing offices, once used by engineers and draughtsman, have been refurbished to accommodate a mezzanine level and TMD chief executive Christopher Graham believes the exciting move will help underpin the firm’s growth plans.

“We have enjoyed being in the city centre but as time wore on it became less and less suitable for us to remain there,” he said.

“This spectacular building ensures that we will be better placed to assist current and future clients in achieving their goals through superior design, marketing and slick events. 

“Our new space, which Charles Rennie Mackintosh helped create as an apprentice, was originally the offices of Fairfield’s naval architects.

“It is here they designed over 700 ships. It is thrilling for us to return the space to the use it was originally designed for: creative business. It is the perfect space for designing.

“We are so excited to be based at Fairfield as there is a real synergy for us. This place was left abandoned for a long time before it was bought over and repurposed and it gives me a buzz to know we’re taking it back to being a design office which it hasn’t been since the ’50s and ’60s.

“From an ethical point of view, it really suits us as well as it’s run by the charity Govan Workspace.

“The surplus they make goes back into the community so I’m happier paying into an organisation like that which will maintain this heritage site and support the local community and not just pocket the money.

“Govan is the place to be as far as I am concerned. There are a lot of businesses moving here and there are a lot of things happening in the local area.

“It has had, undeservedly, a fairly negative reputation in the more modern times and it would be nice to help shift perception a bit as it is a very vibrant and diverse part of Glasgow.”

At approximately 1500 square feet, the new studio is nearly 10 times the size of the previous office.