The Agenda: Business

Christmas is the busiest time of year at Colford. Founded in 2023 by Nathan Cole and Imogen Beresford, the London-based company sends out more than 5,000 intricately wrapped presents over the festive season. Catering to private and corporate clients including Hermès, Cartier and Soho House, Colford takes care of the entire gifting process, from selecting envelopes and commissioning calligraphy to packaging and delivery. “Luxury clients are always looking for new ways to elevate their brand,” says Cole. “They value our knowledge and guidance.”

The couple created Colford to facilitate a more considered approach to gifting, free from the last-minute rush. “We love the concept of a slower Christmas, especially one without excessive plastic wrapping paper,” says Beresford. “We have been working with paper made from recycled beer grain,” adds Cole. “It’s material that’s usually wasted after the brewing process. It creates a beautiful texture and subtle colour changes: you get some rich, deep browns through to the palest beiges.”

Colford takes pride in sourcing unusual materials and gifts, and works with more than 200 designers and makers. Creating a link between craftspeople and clients is important to the pair, who insist that gifting excellence doesn’t have to end with the festive season. “We can add a theatrical element all year round,” says Cole. “We consider how the present arrives, who delivers it, what they’re wearing and even what vehicle they arrive in.”

FISHING — NORWAY
Q&A

Knut R Holmøy
CEO, Holmøy Maritime

Founded in 1973 in Norway’s High North, seafood group Holmøy Maritime prides itself on sustainable wild fishing – and great architecture. In 2014 it partnered with celebrated architecture studio Snøhetta to develop its headquarters in Vesterålen. A decade later, Snøhetta has delivered a 16,000 sq m facility at the fishery’s neighbouring Liland site, which will process 150 tonnes of salmon a day. The group’s ceo, Knut R Holmøy, tells us more.

Why is it important for your company to invest in good architecture?
It helps us to capture attention, attract expertise and create comfort and safety for those working with us. We offer the kinds of facilities that you might find in a city but with better views of Norway’s northern landscape.

How does it affect your team?
Our architecture shows that we prioritise quality. This gives our employees a sense of security and fosters pride. Nothing is achieved without human resources and, since moving our operation here, we have gained a lot in terms of efficiency for our investment.

How do Holmøy Maritime’s values help staff?
Our values revolve around sustainable production that’s both profitable and renewable. In this way, we can ensure safe and stable jobs, and acquire the expertise that we need to meet the environmental requirements that we face today, as well as those that we expect in the future.

David Barry was the leader of the 2012 US Olympic wrestling squad, so he knows how to grapple with risk and tackle opportunity. It’s a skill set that has served the founder and ceo of property-development firm Urby well throughout his business career. Barry is also an angel investor who has backed Peloton, the Standard Hotels group and others. “Passion and strong values are what I look for,” he says. “These are often found in hospitality brands.”

Urby’s residential apartments offer a blend of traditional city living and the hospitality flair of boutique hotels. Since launching the company in 2014, Barry has worked to foster a sense of community in his developments. “We all rely too much on social media,” he says. “We need to return to humanity and cultivate real interactions. One way that we do this is by integrating a café into our lobbies.”

Urby now has eight properties across the US, in cities including Dallas and New York. Four more are in development. “The apartment world has often been dominated by financial interests and generic values,” says Barry. Urby’s generous amenities, such as communal gardens, gym classes and terraced pools, challenge this. Next, Barry hopes to expand across the border. “I would love to head to Mexico City,” he says. “It’s a vibrant city that’s bursting with creativity and Urby would thrive there.” — L

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