Interview with Lee Wells, Managing Director of Sussex and Surrey Partitioning also trading as Sussex Surrey Commercial Interiors, to emphasise the variety of the services offered.
March 2026
Ever since we opened our doors in 2011, we have been helping businesses gain more from their workspace, and throughout that time, we have proudly operated under the name Sussex and Surrey Partitioning. Back in 2011, that name made perfect sense. Partitioning was where our expertise began, and people knew exactly where to come when they needed that service.
Partitioning remains a core part of what we do today and that will not be changing. However, it has not been the full picture of our work for quite some time now. Over the past decade in particular, our offering has grown steadily, and the scale of projects we deliver has evolved far beyond what our name suggests.
Today, our work spans far more than partitioning. We now deliver total interior transformations for commercial office fit outs and refurbishments, glass partitioning systems, mezzanine floors, suspended ceilings, alongside reception areas, bespoke staff rest and welfare areas including new and revamped toilet facilities, acoustic solutions, furniture installation, lighting, air conditioning and storage systems for businesses across Sussex, Surrey and the wider South East.
In many cases, we take projects from an empty warehouse to a fully operational office environment. Whilst we have been delivering this level of service for years, the reality is that our original name no longer reflects the full scope of what we do.
That is why we are now moving forward and changing our name, to help people better understand what we offer as a whole.
Sussex and Surrey Commercial Interiors
This name better represents the scale, capability and breadth of services we deliver every day.
What Does This Mean for Our Services?
The most important thing to say is that nothing about the way we work is changing.
Our team, our standards and the way we manage projects will remain exactly the same. What is changing is the name, because it is time to properly represent what we have already been delivering for many years.
We frequently act as a principal contractor, coordinating trades and supporting clients from the first idea through to final handover. Our role often involves bringing together electricians, plumbers, flooring specialists and other trades to deliver a complete interior transformation.
However, the old name (Sussex and Surrey Partitioning) sometimes created confusion.
On one recent project, for example, we were appointed as the principal contractor, yet a supplier questioned why they were being asked to share contact details with what they believed was simply a “partitioning company”. In reality, we were managing the entire project.
Situations like this highlighted how our name no longer reflected the true scope of our work.
As our founder and Managing Director Lee Wells explains:
“We are still doing what we’re doing now. The key difference is explaining to people what we are doing, what we have been doing, and making people aware of the full range of services we can offer.”
Why Make This Change, and Why Now?
The idea of changing the name was first discussed around three or four years ago.
At the time we had already expanded into a much broader range of commercial interior projects, but we began to notice a recurring issue. Businesses simply were not realising what we were capable of delivering.
One particular moment made this very clear: We lost a project that would have been a great fit for our team because the client did not realise the full range of services we provided.
To address this, we redesigned our website to better explain our work and organised our services into clear sectors. That certainly helped, but it did not completely solve the problem.
By 2025 we had heard something that really drove the point home. A potential client told us:
“We love what you do, but we didn’t even look at your website because we weren’t looking for a partitioning company.”
That was a painful lesson, but it was also a useful one. It confirmed that our brand name was unintentionally limiting how people perceived the business.
It has taken time to find the right solution. We did not want to change too much because we are not changing who we are or how we operate. However, we did want a name that properly reflects the full service we deliver.
This Is About Growth, Not a Reboot
As Lee explains:
“It’s definitely about growth. We’ve had a good year, and we’re growing at a pace we’re happy with. We’re employing more of our own staff and working with more experienced subcontractors so we can continue expanding our skill set and delivering the right team for every project.”
The business is in a strong position, and the new name simply reflects that progress.
What the New Name Represents
The term commercial interiors allows us to properly represent the full range of services we deliver.
It is not tied to a single discipline. Instead, it reflects the broad nature of modern workplace design and construction.
Our projects regularly include:
- Glass partitioning systems
- Suspended ceilings
- Mezzanine floors
- Lighting and electrical integration
- Air conditioning and ventilation
- Flooring installations
- Reception and breakout spaces
- Toilet refurbishments
- Furniture installation
- Complete office fit outs
As Lee says with a smile:
“In hindsight, interiors would have probably been the better name from the start, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.”
How Modern Workspaces Are Changing
Another reason our work has evolved significantly in recent years is the way modern offices are being designed.
Since COVID, many businesses’ priorities have shifted.
Companies are often creating fewer individual offices and more collaborative spaces, but they are investing in higher quality environments that employees actually enjoy working in.
One of the biggest changes we have seen is the importance of acoustic design.
Open plan spaces can quickly become noisy environments, and sound travels easily across glass and hard surfaces. As a result, many of our projects now include acoustic solutions such as specialist wall treatments, ceiling panels and high performance glazing systems.
Interestingly, businesses are often spending similar budgets as before, but they are choosing better materials and smarter design rather than simply building more rooms.
We are also seeing an increase in features that make workplaces feel more welcoming and engaging, such as breakout areas, feature lighting, meeting pods and creative design elements.
One recent project illustrates this perfectly. Working with a dental practice that had a clear vision for its new workspace, we created an interior that combined mirrored surfaces, feature lighting and concealed doorways to produce an environment that felt both professional and distinctive. It is a great example of how thoughtful design can completely transform a workspace.
These environments help businesses encourage staff back into the office while maintaining a productive workspace.
Experience, Training and the Right Team
As our projects have expanded in scale and complexity, our internal team has grown alongside them.
Today we have a strong core team with decades of combined experience across the construction and commercial interiors sector. Alongside our own staff we work with a network of specialist subcontractors who bring additional expertise where required.
Training is also a major focus.
We invest heavily in ongoing professional development to ensure our team remains ahead of industry standards, including areas such as fire door installation compliance, health and safety regulations and new product technologies.
We also actively explore new materials and products entering the market so we can bring the best possible solutions to our clients.
Sustainability and Practical Solutions
Sustainability is another important consideration in modern commercial interiors.
Where possible, we look for opportunities to reuse existing materials, particularly glass partitioning systems that can often be removed and reinstalled in new spaces.
This approach can significantly reduce both cost and environmental impact by minimising waste and avoiding unnecessary landfill.
Of course, every project has different logistical challenges, but we always aim to explore the most practical and sustainable solutions available.
Helping Clients From Concept to Completion
Many of our clients are experts in their own industries, but they do not manage building projects every day.
That is where our experience becomes valuable.
We offer free site surveys to help businesses understand what is possible within their space. During these consultations we assess layouts, discuss objectives and explore practical solutions that clients may not have considered.
Sometimes the answer is a new meeting room. Sometimes it is improving acoustics. Sometimes it is reorganising the space entirely.
Our role is to guide clients through the process and help them create a workspace that genuinely supports their business.
Looking Forward
This change marks an important milestone for our company, and for client awareness for all of the products and services we offer.
Our internal team has grown, our product range has expanded and our project experience continues to develop across a wide variety of sectors, from private businesses and technology companies to schools, councils and national organisations.
As we look ahead, our focus remains simple. We want to continue delivering high quality commercial interior projects while making sure our clients clearly understand the full range of services we can provide.
That is why our new name matters, because Sussex and Surrey Commercial Interiors reflects exactly what we have been delivering for years, combining practical experience, trusted workmanship and complete commercial interior solutions from concept through to completion.
Sussex and Surrey Commercial Interiors – Interiors That Mean Business.
