Fit-Out Powerlist 2024 – KPS Ranks 4th

STEPHEN TAYLOR, KPS MANAGING DIRECTOR UAE

WITH A FOOTPRINT IN NINE COUNTRIES ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST AND EUROPE AND OVER 500 EMPLOYEES, KPS THRIVES ON CHALLENGES AND OPTIMISM. THEY ARE PEOPLE-CENTRIC, OPPORTUNITY-FOCUSSED, AND EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE

KPS exists to turn challenges into opportunities that set better standards for its team, the firm, and the fit-out industry as a whole. This purpose defines the company’s work spirit and its approach to business. At KPS, they love the phrase ‘not possible’ because it awakens their rebellious optimism. They reject the notion of the impossible, instead pursuing ‘what if’ until they find solutions. KPS aims to deliver beyond what’s expected, handing keys to happy clients and gaining expertise, creativity, and fulfillment from each project.

KPS began 30 years ago when its Swedish Chairman, Kristian Petersson, embarked on a project in the Middle East. He moved his family to Dubai and began by furnishing the Economic Department. Despite the enormous challenges, Kristian’s determination to deliver quality work and adapt to clients’ needs set a high standard. These qualities have been ingrained in the KPS brand from the beginning. Over the years, KPS has continually raised the bar with each project, growing the business and gaining expertise across various fields. Their approach has evolved from furnishing offices to becoming a technology-led, design-focussed interior construction company serving multiple sectors, including workspaces, hospitality, education, health, entertainment, retail, and residential.

Today, KPS is a significant player in the often-fragmented industry, having transformed over 20 million square feet of space. With a footprint in nine countries across the Middle East and Europe and over 500 employees, KPS thrives on challenges and optimism. They are people-centric, opportunity-focussed, and excited about the future. KPS’ commitment to high quality, consistency, and flexibility appeals to clients seeking the same standards. They respect and admire every client’s determination to meet project goals despite budget cuts, limited resources, or time constraints. KPS remains committed to meeting those requirements, while delivering quality and value. They constantly seek better ways to achieve higher standards by understanding each client’s needs and offering the right solutions. KPS aims for customers to walk away with their dream spaces realized.

paces realised. Over the past 12 months, KPS has seen significant growth in the scope of its UAE projects and the size of its Dubai-based team. Projects have included work for a new, regional headquarters for Ferrero in Dubai’s Downtown, one of the world’s largest packaged sweet and snack companies; a multilevel space with laboratories in DMCC for the Gemological Institute of America, or GIA, an independent non-profit and the world’s foremost authority on diamonds and gemstones; another amazing workspace for Lockton, the world’s largest independent insurance brokerage, this time in DIFC’s Gate Village; a second centre for Reform Athletica in ICD Brookfield, a boutique fitness studio inspired by the vibrant fitness scenes of New York, London, and LA; and another flexible workspace for smart office providers iSpace, in One Central; all this and dozens of other amazing projects across the Emirates. Furthermore, KPS is still there for its clients long after each project is completed. The firm provides an unlimited period of aftercare service to make sure everything runs smoothly. And if the client’s business grows and changes, they’re there to design, furnish, and build accordingly.

The independent furniture arm of KPS has recently been relaunched as Mart®. Headquartered in Dubai Design District (d3), Mart® has deep partnerships with the world’s leading contract furniture brands. It provides a one-stop solution for architects, designers, fit-out companies, and other commercial clients, offering end-to-end furniture planning and design, procurement and logistics, installation, and aftercare services.

Today, Mart® has one of the largest collections of contract furniture anywhere. It works independently across the world’s major commercial furniture brands to create designs and custom styles that are tailored to each project’s needs. Or it can work with existing designs to support architects, designers, and other fit-out companies, with end-to-end furniture planning, procurement, logistics, installation, and aftercare services. Mart® not only has an amazing showroom in d3 but is also launching a new and stateof-the-art web portal on https://kpsmart. com that can create mood boards and BOQs and manages complex commercial orders from multiple brands.

Mart® also believes that waste is the failure to take advantage of an opportunity. That’s why it has recently teamed up with certified social enterprise Waste to Wonder Worldwide. Waste to Wonder has been redistributing used office furniture and equipment to good causes around the world for over twenty years. To date, they have equipped over 1,400 schools in 40 countries through their School in a Box programme. Last year alone, they diverted over 2,500 tons of equipment from landfills and donated furniture worth over AED 18 million to great causes around the world. On average, 97% of the used workplace furniture Waste to Wonder acquires is reused, 3% is recycled, and zero goes to landfill. Sebastian Stefan who heads Mart® said: “We kickstarted this partnership by clearing out our own warehouse in Dubai, and that furniture is on its way to a school in Ghana. We’re now offering this service to all our clients to ensure that whatever we are clearing out of their old workspaces is benefitting those in need – and our planet.” This redistribution process delivers measurable environmental and social impact and ensures outstanding sustainability results. Young people in disadvantaged communities around the world are seeing the benefit. Waste to Wonder provides full ESG reports detailing CO2 and cost savings, and the positive social impact of each clearance project.