Summertown Interiors Celebrates 25 Years of Delivering Sustainable Interior Workplace Solutions
Summertown Interiors, the UAE’s leading sustainable commercial fit-out contractor, this month celebrates its 25th anniversary. Trailblazers in the UAE’s green building movement, Summertown credits its success to anchoring sustainability at the heart of its business strategy. Since opening in November 1997 as a wooden door trading company in Jebel Ali, Summertown has transformed into a leading fit out and design and build commercial contractor delivering interior solutions for global Fortune 500 companies, government authorities, and local businesses in the corporate, healthcare, and education sectors. These include head offices for Smart Dubai Office, the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, and Dubai International Financial Centre’s (DIFC) Innovation Hub, as well as offices for global brands like Takeda, Deliveroo, Sanofi, Kellogg’s, Siemens and Daimler to name a few.
“As we reach this 25-year milestone, we are immensely proud of our journey and our achievements to date – none of which would have been possible without the support of our clients, suppliers, partners, and dedicated team. Everything we do is underlined by our mission to consistently deliver high end interior projects on time and within budget, whilst helping companies to achieve their environmental goals, directly resulting in operational savings and a better workspace for employees. Our journey is far from over. As a sustainable commercial interior contractor we believe in ‘walking the talk’ and will continue to embed sustainability into all our business strategies and processes. We are proud to be flying the flag for sustainability and will continue to do our part to help the UAE achieve its green economy goals. We are fortunate to have an amazing team and I wish to personally thank them and all our suppliers, partners, and clients who have been being part of our 25-year journey in the UAE; and I look forward to building a sustainable future together.”
– Marcos Bish, Founder and Managing Director of Summertown Interiors.
Founded by Marcos Bish, Hugo Bish, and Inigo Brenninkmeijer, the company name Summertown originated from the birthplace of one of the founder’s sons. In 2000, the company changed its name to Summertown International and extended the business to become a fully-fledged joinery production factory. In 2002, the company expanded its activities to include turnkey interior solutions for commercial interiors and attained the ISO 9001 quality management standard. By 2013 the company started operating under the name of Summertown Interiors, focusing on commercial turnkey and fit out contracting. Today, Summertown employs approximately 128 team members, 68 of which are based in the head office, and 60 site-based with 3 team members having been part of its journey since it first opened.
A major milestone for Summertown was in 2009 when the company was recognised as the first fit-out contractor in the UAE to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for the interiors of its head office in Jebel Ali. In 2016, the main office was awarded LEED Gold certification for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED EBOM). Today, Summertown offers all clients with projects over 2,000sqm free LEED certified level certification, and has successfully delivered over 20 LEED certified commercial interiors.
As a pioneer in creating sustainable workspaces, Summertown has led the UAE’s fit out industry by example, releasing seven annual sustainability reports since 2016, demonstrating the tangible economic, social, and environmental benefits a sustainable workplace delivers. Its sustainability strategy is aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and local sustainable ambitions – UAE Vision 2021, Green Agenda 2030 and Happiness Charter, and the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan.
In 2019, Summertown reviewed its sustainability strategy and set three ‘JOURNEY2030’ goals based on the areas it believes can have the most impact:
- Deliver 100% Sustainable Projects – Summertown aims to have all its projects meet externally accredited green/sustainable standards by 2030
- Zero Waste – By 2030 Summertown offices and projects will have zero waste going to landfill.
- Improve Workplace Happiness and Wellbeing – Summertown continuously strives to be a great place to work.
The company was named the “Best Workplace Sustainability Program” at the Happiness @ Work Awards in 2019. Established in July 2017, the awards recognise and honour forward-thinking organisations from public, private and not-for-profit sectors that believe that happy employees create high-performing organisations. During the inaugural 2017 awards, Summertown was also recognised for its workplace ‘Health, Wellness and Wellbeing’ programme. The company’s latest accolade is the WELL Health-Safety Rating for its Dubai head office. The rating is an evidence-based and third-party verified by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI).
About Summertown Interiors:
For 25 years, Summertown Interiors has been among the UAE’s leading and most sustainable contractors, offering superior quality interior fit out solutions. Reputed for its green expertise and exceptional client service, the company specialises in commercial, healthcare, and education projects for global Fortune 500 companies, government authorities and local businesses.