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        Case studies

        Customer profiles – Primary Eyecare Services, Waulk Mill, Manchester

        09 July 2025

        When eye care specialists, Primary Eyecare Services, were looking for a space to support their evolving business, Waulk Mill in Manchester stood out – not just for its character and location, but for the long-term support that came with it.

        We caught up with Operations Director, Richard Rawlinson, to hear how the space and our ongoing partnership has supported them at every stage of their growth journey.

        Waulk Mill in Manchester

        Finding the right fit

        “We first came across Waulk Mill back in 2019 when we were looking to centralise our business functions into a single head office in Manchester. With a much smaller team back then, we opted for 1,311 sq ft of workspace.

        “We’d looked around a range of options from Stockport to the inner city, but nothing stood out like Waulk Mill did. The building itself made a strong impression – the combination of innovative design, strong marketing and flexible leasing terms really stood out.

        “We snapped up the opportunity back then to make Waulk Mill our home and haven’t looked back since.”

        Entrance area at Waulk Mill in Manchester, part of a series of recent regeneration works

        Bringing the vision to life

        “One of our first priorities was fitting out the unit to cater to our needs and add our own personal touch. We needed to create the right space for a range of business functions from our customer support hub to our operations and marketing teams, so the design was key.

        “We decided to incorporate modern glass-walled office spaces and a boardroom, all arranged around a central shared working area. There’s something rather special about a contemporary workspace nestled within a historic building.

        “We had a lot of freedom to fit out the space as we wanted which was great as we could tailor our workspace to our needs. The space didn’t feel borrowed or inherited – it felt like ours.”

        Lighting installation at Waulk Mill, part of a series of recent regeneration works

        Building momentum at the mill

        "As we brought in new team members to explore a broader range of services, it quickly became clear we’d outgrown our original space. We needed a bigger workspace to bring everyone together and support the next stage of our growth.

        “As luck would have it, the tenants in the unit next door to ours handed in their notice and we were able to reconfigure our office by knocking through into the neighbouring unit.

        “The Urban Splash team were fantastic, helping us to take over the previous tenants’ lease, thanks to their flexible approach, so there were no delays in getting us set up.”

        Co-working space at Waulk Mill in Manchester

        A great place to work

        “Waulk Mill is truly a great place to work, and we feel lucky to be based here. Our workspace is more than just an office to us; it’s a place for our team members to come together, collaborate and feel inspired. Waulk Mill gets this spot on, helping us to retain and attract top talent as a result of the building, its location and our workspace specifically.

        “Six years on from our initial move in, we couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. There’s a great vibe to the place from the built-in community to the features and amenities throughout which are widely used by the team.

        “We’ve recently renewed our lease for a further five years. We’ve built great foundations at Waulk Mill so far and we’re looking ahead to our next phase of business development with a great team and excellent workspace in tow.”

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