Interchange 38, Barnsley is now fully let after attracting two new expanding occupiers bringing ambitious investment plans.
Phoenox Textiles, which has been in the textile manufacturing business for seven decades and was founded in 1954 in Huddersfield, joins the UK’s leading redistributor of surplus products, Company Shop Group, at the popular industrial estate.
The vacant space was split back to two units to offer suitable, modern space for both thriving firms at the development totalling nearly 400,000 sq ft.
Phoenox, which currently employs 150 staff, has taken a new 10 year lease on 64,855 sq ft after investing in manufacturing and finishing elements of the business, and has moved into collaborations for its popular floor coverings which include brands such as Hug Rug, My Mat, Origin and Howler and Scratch.
While Company Shop Group, who are head quartered at Wentworth Industrial Estate in Tankersley, expands into 73,007 sq ft bringing multi million pound investment for a new redistribution centre to handle frozen products, adding significant scale and capabilities for redistributing more surplus.
Charles Mosley, Phoenox managing director, said: “Our original site has served us well but an increase in demand for our products, plus improvements in manufacturing and processes means we need a more modern base with the associated technology for our latest requirements. It was also important that we had good transport links so our staff can easily access the new site from Huddersfield.
“A new cutting and finishing functions will move to Interchange 38 and products will be distributed from there. Our original site is vast but due to its historic nature offers limitations on our push to become even more sustainable. This modern unit gives us the ability to do that.”
Company Shop Group’s new redistribution centre, located a few miles from its existing Tankersley site, will process and redistribute millions of frozen food items across the UK through its network of Company Shop ‘Surplus Supermarkets’ and its award-winning social enterprise Community Shop. The Tankersley base will continue to operate, handling ambient and chilled products.
Chris Burns, Group Managing Director of Company Shop Group, which recently announced it had reached the milestone of redistributing 1 billion surplus items since starting, said: “In five years we have doubled the amount of frozen surplus we handle and this new redistribution centre is a major investment for the future, bringing significantly increased operational capacity. By bringing our frozen operations in-house, we will be better positioned to support our industry partners, creating a more efficient system and a platform for continued investment in our product interventions, which helps stop even more perfectly good products from going to waste.
“The new frozen redistribution centre reinforces our unique ability to redistribute frozen surplus at a very large scale from this central location which was key for us, and near our existing base. This brings significant benefits, including the opportunity to introduce new product interventions to provide even more support to our partners and redistribute more stock.”
Interchange 38 benefits from easy access to Junction 38 M1 for Barnsley, Sheffield, Wakefield, Leeds and further afield. Phoenox and Company Shop Group join occupiers One Below and Premdor, who have both also recently renewed their leases.
Rebecca Schofield, partner at Knight Frank in Sheffield, which marketed the unit with Leeds-based Carter Towler, said: “This is a great example of how a landlords flexible approach to leasing helped secure tenants swiftly. Paloma agreed to split the units and retained some of the previous fit out to accommodate the needs of the tenants in the market. This approach reduced the vacancy period and provided fitted space for the new tenants to operate and grow their operations from.”
Hazel Sykes, Business Investment Manager at Enterprising Barnsley said: “It’s great to see Interchange 38 fully occupied following these two major investments. Supporting growing businesses like Phoenox and Company Shop Group is exactly what we aim to do at Enterprising Barnsley, and their decision to expand here further reinforces Barnsley’s reputation as a competitive and well-connected place to do business.”
Phoenox Textiles was founded by local weaver, Jack Mosley in 1954 at Grove Mills, Scisset in West Yorkshire. He began by making fabric for bus seats and hearth rugs, woven from locally sourced wool, acrylic and cotton. 70 years and four generations later, the Mosley family remain the custodians of Phoenox, ensuring its reputation, quality and heritage continues to serve its customers and the community. 80 per cent of production is completed at the mill in Scissett with an emphasis on sustainable production. It is the only company in its sector which still creates flooring in Britain.
Research by the Office of National Statistics shows the current Barnsley population is 244,600, with the unemployment rate standing at 2.9 per cent, compared to a national average of 4.7 per cent.
