AFTER more than a year shrouded in scaffolding insurance giants AXA has unveiled its new look Ipswich HQ following a multi-million pound renovation. Suffolk House, next to AXA's existing building in the town has undergone a radical facelift on the outside and some 250 staff have moved into the building after work to refurbish four floors was completed.

AFTER more than a year shrouded in scaffolding insurance giants AXA has unveiled its new look Ipswich HQ following a multi-million pound renovation.

Suffolk House, next to AXA's existing building in the town has undergone a radical facelift on the outside and some 250 staff have moved into the building after work to refurbish four floors was completed.

The remaining five floors will be given a revamp over the next three years as part of the £10million project with the building eventually expected to be home to between 600 and 700 staff.

AXA's Chief Operating Officer Andy Fairchild said: “It is good news for AXA.

“This gives us the opportunity to grow our business in Ipswich.

“We had got to a stage where we had five different offices in the town.

“Four of them were overspill because we didn't have enough room in our main building.

“We had filled up the building as we became more and more successful in Ipswich and had to look for other office space.

“We have still got some people in Princes Street but it is planned for them to move into the refurbished building later this year.”

The revamped Suffolk House now features a new reception area, new lifts and several meeting rooms - some catering for up to 100 people.

The building was previously the headquarters for TXU Energi which left the building in 2004.

Scaffolding had to be erected around the outside because the structure was unsafe.

n. What do you think of the new-look Suffolk House? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

Fastfacts:

n> Axa employs around 1,300 people in Ipswich.

n> The company is French owned and is one of the largest insurance companies in the world.

n> It became established in Britain after buying Guardian Assurance which had its home in Civic Drive.

n> Suffolk House has 72,000 sq ft of space.

n> Refurbishment work included new exterior cladding, a new roof, new windows and disabled access throughout.