Global Synthetic Developments UK Ltd. (GSD) is a fictitious UK company that will feature in a number of my stories.

A number of stories are in the course of being written, and will appear as and when they are complete. I, like many readers, am frustrated when I get into a story, only to have it discontinued through unforseen circumstances.

I have provided a profile of the company and its head Office, so that readers can see how events and people in the stories relate to one another.

GSD (UK) Ltd manufactures a range of recycled plastic building materials and components. The company was founded ten years ago by John Andrews and Billy Edleston; they are now multi-millionaires and still own the company, which has grown rapidly.

Factories are located in Southern Scotland, the West Midlands and Northern Ireland; there are distribution warehouses at the factories. All other functions are undertaken at Head Office, which is a ten storey, bronze mirror-glass ring-doughnut-shaped building on the edge of a town near the South coast of England. The building is surrounded by attractive gardens and has seating and a garden in the middle of the ‘doughnut’, which staff may use at break times. The basement houses a staff car park. Visitor parking is immediately adjacent to main reception.

All floors and the underground staff car park are served by four lifts, three in reception and one opposite. Drink vending machines are in the main lift lobbies of all floors except on the ground floor, where there is a coffee lounge attached to the staff restaurant.

The whole building and site is disabled-friendly, with wheelchair ramps and grab rails where required, electric doors and accessible facilities.

Floor allocation:
B — Staff Car Park
G — Reception, Main Security Office, Building plant, Restaurant, Coffee Lounge, Kitchen
1 — Building Admin, Engineers, Security services for head office and other locations, Legal Services
2 — Distribution, Fleet Management
3 — Design, Medical Suite
4 — Product Development, Warranty
5 — Premises, Real Estate Management
6 — Marketing, Asset Management
7 — HR, Personnel, Finance
8 — IT (Management, Technical Support, Networking, Database Admin, Security Admin, Helpdesk
9 — Corporate Suite and other Corporate Functions
10 — Building Plant