McBains Cooper now known as McBains

Leading consulting and design agency McBains Cooper undergoes a fresh new rebrand today. It will now be known simply as McBains, with a new brand identity representing the consultant’s progression while also reflecting the company’s history.

McBains Cooper has been a fixture on the professional landscape since 1993 following the merger of McBains and Henry Cooper. It is led by Michael Thirkettle, who was appointed Chief Executive in 2003.

The new name and brand identity for the company is intended to reflect the forward direction in which the company is going and also its aim of ‘finding a better way’ – a way that is simpler and recognising that there are no set solutions.

Some of the major projects the company has recently worked on include the £1bn redevelopment of Battersea Power Station comprising 3,400 homes, offices, leisure facilities and 18 acres of open space; add Elephant Road project, the Bekynton Field complex at Eton College, comprising teaching accommodation and a Greek-inspired debating theatre; and a new £15m HQ for Gloucestershire police.

The company was recently appointed for the first time onto three Crown Commercial Service (CCS) frameworks for public sector work, worth more than £2.8bn.

The public sector is a growing area of operations for the company. Last year, it won the contract to design the new 9,000 sq m training facility for BAe Systems in Barrow-in-Furness, home to the design and build of submarines for the Royal Navy.

Michael Thirkettle, Chief Executive, McBains Cooper, said:

“We’re proud of our history and wanted to maintain that connection but also reflect our ambition of seeking continual improvement, finding a better way of working and striving for simplicity.

“The company has always been at the forefront of progress. The Cooper and McBains names have helped shape skylines since 1785 and 1925 respectively, and in fact helped established the way the entire profession works today – Henry Cooper effectively introduced the concept of cost management and quantity surveying back in the 18th century

“Those values of changing the industry for the better and seeking greater innovation and quality are as much a part of our make-up today as they were then – over the last decade we have pioneered the inter-disciplinary consultancy model, one where all disciplines operate to bespoke processes within a behavioural environment, working much closer together, setting the standard for a fully integrated high quality service model in an industry that tends to be of an adversarial nature.

“With regards to the rebrand, we focused on the why we do things rather than on what we do and to reflect our inspiration of wanting to change our industry for the better. We’ve emerged with a brand story, the McBains Code, which speaks to all parts of our business and to all of our clients. Our bold new identity underpins our confidence and provides a deeper sense of collective pride that, yes, we are special. The new branding really sets us apart and matches our bold ambitions for the future of our business.

“For a long time, too, clients and the industry have referred to us simply as McBains, and this will help meet the aim of strengthening and cementing those business relationships.

“The rebrand also comes as we start an exciting chapter, with RSBG becoming a long-term investor that will support our growth and development, allowing us to increase the strength and depth of our service range, resources and the breadth of our professional services. It also comes as we embark on a new wave of public sector projects, including having been appointed onto the CCS Framework for the first time alongside some of the biggest names in the industry.”