Meridian aims to raise Auckland profile

Meridian staff have moved to Quad 5 at Auckland International Airport.

Sixteen Meridian Energy staff have left Mt Wellington offices for a new building at Auckland International Airport.

Alan McCauley, Meridian's retail general manager, said 20 staff would soon be in the new office which his company had leased on level three of the Quad 5 building.

The chance to make its presence known in Auckland was a key factor in Meridian's decision to establish a larger Auckland office, he said

"The move signals Meridian's intention to grow its retail presence, with a focus on the upper North Island and the surrounding business in Auckland.

"The new office provides an alternative base for essential retail operations if there is an emergency in Christchurch or Wellington where the company's two other main offices are," he said.

One consideration was the need to get closer to Meridian's key partners in Auckland such as its creative agency Barnes, Catmur & Friends.

"And we've got large corporate customers there too, so it's all about raising our profile there and getting the message out there that we're a national retailer," he said.

The building is in the airport's Precinct zone and has a 5-star Green Star rating. Meridian's head office in Wellington is in an award-winning 5-star building on the waterfront.

McCauley said Meridian had signed a six-year lease on the Auckland property, with two three-year rights of renewal. "We've leased a whole floor which will only be half full. That leaves us room to grow. We fitted out half of it so it's subdividable. Potentially we can get up to 80 people over time if we wanted to."

Meridian considered shifting to Auckland's CBD but McCauley said the catchment areas for staff and the airport's convenience when people arrive from Christchurch and Wellington were major considerations. Rent was another factor - the airport offered a better price than the CBD.

Quad 5 is on on Leonard Issit Dr and also houses Auckland Airport's corporate offices.