Creative, brand and digital agency Mr B & Friends has moved into its new Bristol office with a promise to spend as much of its operating budget in the city and to do its part to boost the local economy.
The agency has relocated from Bath – where it was founded in 2006 by CEO Simon Barbato – to Temple Quarter, bringing with it 40 staff and a roster of blue-chip clients such as Intercontinental Hotel Group, Principality Building Society, Unite Students and SSE. 
As revealed by Bristol Business News last month, the agency’s search for a suitable office in Bath to meet its expansion plans proved fruitless.
Simon said: “The move from Bath to Bristol was a logical step for the agency. We needed to find suitable premises that we could continue to grow into, and in an area that’s a dynamic commercial centre. Temple Quarter is perfect: accessible and we are surrounded by organisations that we’d be interested in working with.
“We were also very aware that over 60% of our staff came from Bristol, and the city is fast becoming known as the second creative hub in the UK, with outstanding digital and technology talent settling here. It made perfect sense to begin the next chapter of our story in a city that’s going places.
“Bristol is a fantastic city, we are delighted to be here and we want to do as much as we can to boost Bristol’s economy. Whether that’s spending our budget with companies based in the city, employing creative and digital talent or helping Bristol businesses to succeed through the development of their brands, creativity or digital. We aim to quickly become a part of the fabric of the city and a contributor to the circular economy.”
The agency appointed Bristol-based design and fit-out specialists Claremont GI to manage the office transformation project ahead of moving into the 6,700 sq ft suite in 3 Temple Quay, while its managed IT services contract was awarded to Systemagic.
Executive creative director Steve Richardson, pictured above, who oversaw the fit-out project, said: “We wanted to create an exciting workplace environment that our people, clients and prospects would be inspired by. We’ve achieved a very creative space in what is a fairly corporate building. The layout, design, furniture and lighting presents quality, creativity and collaboration.”
