The UK’s largest independent commercial property consultant and Birmingham’s leading property advisor, GVA, is proactively supporting the UK automotive industry, having joined trade association, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
GVA’s membership of the SMMT – widely recognised as the voice of the automotive sector in the UK – is part of an overall strategy to assist in the resurgent growth of the sector by highlighting opportunities and advising on various, particularly in the Midlands.
The strategy is being spearheaded by GVA’s specialist Industrial Automotive team, being led by specialists Graham Knight and David Willmer. The team has already identified a number of opportunities to assist the sector, with a range of supply chain companies being asked by end manufacturers to expand and fulfil the need for extra component supply within the UK.
Graham Knight, Director, GVA, said: “With the good news that we’ve seen coming from the manufacturing sector from the likes of Jaguar Land Rover, BMW and Toyota, we thought that this was a perfect time for us to make sure that we were aligned with the SMMT in order to support its aims and objectives.
“We believe very firmly that there is currently a pent-up demand in the region and it won’t be long before we start to see a strong call for these services. Our membership of the SMMT is a great opportunity to work with both manufacturers and suppliers to assist in the resurgence of the manufacturing industry in the Midlands.”
David Willmer, Director, GVA, said: “With the sector having been in the doldrums for so long there is still a general lack of surveyors with the specialist industrial knowledge that’s required to make fast and accurate appraisals of industrial properties. I am extremely pleased to say that we are redressing this balance through the Industrial Automotive team, with a number of extremely talented specialist surveyors.
“GVA has operated in the Midlands for over 100 years and has advised motor manufacturers around Birmingham during both the golden era of automotive manufacturing and the more troubled times that we’ve seen recently, so the industry is very much a central piece of our history and experience.”
GVA’s has substantial experience in working with component companies and end producers, supplying specialist advice on a range of services, including business rates and capital allowances advice.
Founded in 1902, the SMMT promotes the interest of the UK automotive industry both at home and abroad, advocating and lobbying on behalf of the sector, in particular for vehicle component suppliers and end retailers.
Paul Everitt, chief executive, SMMT, said: “I’m delighted that GVA has decided to take SMMT membership and become part of one of the largest and most influential trade associations in the UK. We support the interests of the UK automotive industry at home and abroad, promoting a united position to government, stakeholders and the media and having GVA on board will benefit them, the SMMT and our other member companies.”
While this is a logical sector for GVA to approach, Graham warns that it is still a difficult market.
He said: “While we’re seeing a renewed optimism in the sector generally, there is still a lack of development in the region in key areas such as skills, finance and availability of property. We are hoping that the Government’s current discussions on empty rates relief may help to bring some confidence back into the market for speculative development, which will allow the industry to focus more strongly on alleviating the skills shortage.”