EHA specialises in producing high end, bespoke work for retail environments
A touch of luxury
Providing a complete design, build, and installation service for luxury, bespoke projects such as retail point-of-sale (POS), Emerald House Associates (EHA) has built up a healthy portfolio of high end clients over the years.
Founded in 1996 by Mick McNamara, the company was originally a one-man-band operation with production work sub-contracted out to different suppliers. It has since evolved into a busy business with the majority of production work done in house.
Emerald McNamara, business development manager of Emerald House Associates
Over the last 25 years, the business has grown to comprise of over 50 members of staff and now operates out of two site locations in Corby, Northamptonshire covering over 100,000sq ft.
“Our facilities and machinery are constantly being updated in line with the latest technology,” explains Emerald McNamara, business development manager of the company. Reflecting on how the company has grown, she adds: “We’re a different company but with the same attitude.”
With a focus on sustainable production, EHA uses the latest kit to offer a range of services including 3D design, graphic design, large-format printing, acrylic fabrication, 360 production, installation, project management and maintenance, glassworks and shopfronts, and signage and graphics.
A niche market
McNamara explains that despite offering a huge range of services, the company operates within a very niche market and rarely runs batch products. She says: “We offer a diverse set of skills and techniques to provide bespoke projects for our clients. Our most recent 3D print projects included producing a 3D football for a Cadbury airport activation.
“As part of a new POS installation to promote its new scent Hero, Burberry designed a horse for us to bring to life in 3D form. We helped the brand to see its design from every angle prior to 3D print, ensuring it would match the dramatic TV campaign.”
Other projects have included the Smartech X Playhouse installation in the Selfridges Corner Shop in London; pillar cladding, cake stands, and other items for the Selfridges’ Christmas Shop; and a pop-up shop for Etat Libre D’Orange at Selfridges’ beauty hall. EHA also oversaw exclusive releases for Marc Jacobs two consecutive years running which involved designing, planning, building and installing over 60 sites across the two years.
The Smartech X Playhouse installation was installed in the Selfridges Corner Shop in London by EHA
The work itself ranged from straightforward sites comprising of cladding, to sites featuring back walls of three metres long, three-dimensional daisy diffusers radiating the brand’s fragrance across the store, and interactive prize dispensing acrylics.
Reflecting on the company’s continuing relationship with high end brands such as Coty, Pernod Ricard, Chanel, Selfridges and Harrods, McNamara says: “We work with some amazing luxury global brands and continue to expand the business by investing hundreds of thousands of pounds in the very latest state-of-the-art machinery, which helps us deliver the very best for our clients.
“It is great to be part of such a creative and fast paced industry, seeing projects from the early design stage, right through to production and then the grand installation is an exceptionally rewarding aspect of the job.”
Seeing projects from the early design stage, right through to production and then the grand installation is an exceptionally rewarding aspect”
Describing the day to day running of the business, McNamara says no day is the same. Because EHA works on such bespoke projects, the company rarely works on the same promotion twice. This, McNamara says, keeps things exciting. “We could be liaising with clients, getting approvals from airports or stores of jobs being installed,” she explains, adding: “There is always a lot of checking on production progress onsite or offsite or whether we are sourcing materials for projects, there is always lots to do and if we are busy, everyone gets involved.
“I like the diversity of each project and task handed our way, we’re always learning and allowing the creative ideas to flow, working together with super creative people is always a pleasure.”
The team of 54 is made up of carpenters, spray shop workers, designers, project managers, and a print and acrylic department who all work together on each element of a job.
Going for green
An area that EHA continuously strives to address is its sustainability efforts. This focus has been recognised in the form of a global gold standard for its environmental efforts. Issued by EcoVadis, the accreditation has a global network of over 85,000 rated companies in over 160 countries.
Some of the ways EHA commits to sustainability is through implementing numerous new processes, products and eco equipment. Kelly Vickers-Earll, director of EHA, says: “We take our responsibility to combat climate change very seriously and are extremely proud of the changes we’ve already achieved in collaboration with our clients, suppliers and employees.
“Everyone at EHA is elated to have achieved this prestigious accolade because there are so few companies that have achieved the gold standard sustainability rating. We’re committed to making it our mission to continue to find new ways to minimise our carbon footprint.”
Something McNamara is most proud of is the company’s dedication to provide the best possible service to its clients, and seeing the team come together over the larger projects it works on. “There is an overwhelming sense of pride, especially when the whole company gets together for a major project with everyone out in the workshop wrapping unitary to get it loaded to be dispatched.
“You think ‘wow, this is our business and look what we have achieved’. It is great to be involved in the business and it is a pleasure to have my name over the door.”
Speaking of achievements and EHA recently won an award for its Smartech X Playhouse installation at Selfridges. Taking place on March 10th, the VM & Display Awards celebrate the innovation and excellence within the retail visual merchandising and display sector.
EHA won the ‘Best Use of POP/POS’ award and McNamara comments: “It is an amazing achievement for the entire EHA team and reflects our collective extensive expertise and experience. It was fantastic to have our outstanding work recognised for this bespoke collaborative project, which was created and installed during a challenging time for the industry.”
Navigating rocky waters
With the running of any business, there are ups and downs and obstacles that create challenges to be overcome. For EHA, the pandemic was the biggest challenge it’s faced in its 25-year history. “The recovery from Covid had to be the biggest challenge we’ve faced,” McNamara explains. “We were hit hard, but we’ve come back fighting and the hard work and dedication from every single member of our team has paid off!”
Even before the pandemic hit, EHA was on a healthy upward trajectory having grown five times in size over the past five years. The company’s previous premises in Kettering were much smaller and the workshop at the Corby site alone is five times bigger than it was, and there is now a nearby warehouse dedicated to storage.
“The growth has been phenomenal and was on a backburner with the pandemic but is now accelerating. Our new premises are so much bigger, and we keep outgrowing our base, which is a sign of our ongoing success,” McNamara says.
Looking to the future and McNamara says the company’s goal is simple: to continue producing “outstanding unitary and bespoke retail solutions to a consistently high standard”.
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