Spencer Group appointed to reconfigure Reckitt research centre

Spencer’s experienced Building and Civil Engineering team will remodel part of the ground and first floor of Reckitt’s Science and Innovation Centre and fit out vacated areas for laboratories and fragrance evaluation, as well as creating new ancillary spaces.

The project brings together Hull-based Spencer Group and global giant Reckitt, which has its roots in the city, to ensure the Science and Innovation Centre continues to fully meet the company’s evolving needs.

Opened in 2019, the £105m Science and Innovation Centre is the global technical innovation hub for household name consumer health products such as Nurofen and Strepsils. It features state-of-the-art laboratories, as well as large open-plan working and collaboration areas.

Rob Bratherton, Operations Director at Spencer Building and Civil Engineering, said: “This is a very exciting project and an excellent fit for us, as we’re highly experienced at working in tightly-regulated sectors which have high levels of quality control. 

“Our Spencer Building and Civil Engineering team brings together expertise from other sectors, to ensure we’re able to deliver facilities of the highest quality, to precisely meet the needs of our clients.

“This is especially important for research and development facilities, which incorporate complex laboratory rooms and sensitive technology.”

With both companies founded in Hull, the project demonstrates the commitment of Spencer Group and Reckitt to flying the flag for the city.

Reckitt’s story began in 1840, when Isaac Reckitt relocated to Hull and opened a starch mill in Dansom Lane, on the site that the business occupies to this day.  

Beginning with a workforce of just 25 people, the business has grown to now employ more than 40,000 colleagues in more than 60 countries across the globe and to become the company behind many instantly-recognisable household products.

Spencer Group was founded in Hull in 1989 by Charlie Spencer OBE, now the company’s Executive Chairman.

Now employing over 400 people, the business specialises in the design and delivery of complex engineering and construction projects across a range of sectors including rail, renewable energy, bridges and materials storage.

The two businesses also have a shared commitment to providing education and opportunities to young people in the city, with both being founding partners of Hull’s employer led school, Ron Dearing UTC. 

This commitment is highlighted in the research and development facility reconfiguration, with former Ron Dearing UTC students, Isaac Barton, Alex Burr and Matthew Hunter, now being employed by Spencer Group and working on the project. 

Darren Kilvington, Managing Director of Spencer Building and Civil Engineering, said: “We’re proudly based in Hull and are delighted to have been appointed to deliver this project by Reckitt, a world-class business rooted in the city.

“It will be a great showcase of two leading Hull businesses working together.”