The new £2 million Insight business park at Southam is a sell-out, according to Leamington-based commercial property consultants ehB Commercial.
All 21 units on the 24,000 sq ft development have now been sold or let and some companies have already moved in, said Simon Hain, a director of ehB Commercial.
“Insight Park has been a great success, especially when you consider the economic conditions over the last few years,” he said.
“We sold more than half the scheme off plan at the beginning and now all the remaining units and plots have gone too. This is real evidence of the positive movement in the small business unit sector.
“There are still six units left to build – and the whole scheme will be completed by September,” he said.
One of the latest companies to move in is the PDS group, which includes Production Design & Supply (PDS), PD Seating and Toolbay UK.
The group was launched in 2000 after a management buyout by joint managing directors Allan Ballard and Jon Hadfield.
The main company, PDS, are specialist consultants, designers, suppliers and installers of manual production & assembly line equipment for blue chip companies operating in, among other fields, medical, aerospace, military and automotive. Clients include Siemens, Nokia, BAE Systems and Varian.
“We pride ourselves in thinking outside the box and coming up with truly innovative, yet simple, solutions for blue chip companies looking to improve their manual production and assembly lines,” said Mr Ballard. “We put in lots of blue sky thinking and then we go and make it happen and see the project through to its successful conclusion.”
Another company within the group, PD Seating, designs and manufactures a range of high quality ergonomic industrial and commercial seating and chairs.
“We were based on the Warwick House Industrial Park at Southam,” said Mr Hadfield, “but this suits us much better. It’s a very modern park and the buildings and facilities are excellent.”
One of the first companies to move in this year was Niko, a leading UK manufacturer of lifting equipment and conveyor systems, which exports as far afield as Asia and the United States.
Niko bought a 7,600 sq ft manufacturing unit and have invested £625,000 in the new site. Managing director David Upton said the company was poised to launch into two new markets this year – home improvements, with sliding door fittings for wardrobes and cupboards; and adventure parks, with aerial runways for ‘combat courses’ in trees.
“Our core industry is lifting equipment, lightweight overhead gantry cranes, conveyor systems and sliding door gear for industry but we will certainly be attacking these two new markets this year,” he said.
