When TECL acquired the Absolute Commercial Interiors brand in 2024, it brought together two Yorkshire businesses that had been working on the same kind of buildings from different angles: one making workplaces great to be in, the other making sure they’re safe.
Who Absolute are
Absolute Commercial Interiors was founded in Harrogate by Phil Brown and has spent nearly two decades designing and fitting out offices, as well as spaces for hospitality, education, healthcare and leisure clients. Its projects include GB Bank’s Middlesbrough headquarters, Barratt Homes’ offices in York and abrdn’s offices in Newcastle. Long-standing team member Tom Hare now leads the business as Director of Fit Out. BusinessLive covered the acquisition.
Why it makes sense
Every fit-out changes a building’s fire strategy. New partitions, ceilings and services all create gaps that must be fire stopped, and doors that must be fire rated. Too often that work is handed to a separate subcontractor late in the programme. With TECL and Absolute together, fire protection is planned into the design from day one and installed by our own certified teams.
What it means for clients
- One team for fit-out and fire protection, with one programme
- Fire stopping and fire doors installed by LPS 1531 (LPCB) certified, BM TRADA approved operatives
- Every seal recorded digitally, as TECL has done since 2010, ready for your O&M manual and the golden thread
- Local offices in Leeds, Harrogate, Sheffield, Newcastle and Nottingham
About TECL
TECL was founded in Leeds in 2009 and employs around 100 people, including more than 70 directly employed fire protection operatives. We’ve installed more than 5 million fire stopping seals.
Planning a fit-out or refurbishment? Call Absolute Commercial Interiors on 01423 789678 or visit absoluteci.co.uk.