Tag Archives: Business Park

News

Warrington Business Park continues partnership with local charity

Birchwood Park, the North West’s largest out-of-town business destination, is thrilled to announce it has raised more than £9,100 for charity in 2022, a huge increase on the previous year.

The Warrington-based business park managed to raise money for its chosen Warrington charity, Walton Lea Partnership.

Walton Lea Partnership provides a variety of activities and supported learning opportunities for adults and young people with learning disabilities living in the region, accessible at its two sites in Walton Lea Victorian Walled Garden and Walton Gardens Conservatory Range.

The charitable sum was raised through a series of challenges and events taking part across the Birchwood Park premises, including the annual DuckFest which raised a total of £2,463. Another big fundraiser for the park was the 42-mile Bike Ride completed by 15 of the Birchwood Park team, raising just under £2,000.

More recently, the Park’s occupiers joined in on wreath making and a ‘family film’ show, again to encourage donations to the Walton Lea Partnership.

Alongside the donation total, the Birchwood Park team has helped the charity with the installation of new lights and sockets at Walton Lea’s headquarters and café area.

Birchwood Park was able to donate an additional £2,500 this year in comparison to 2021, with lockdown restrictions finally easing allowing the opportunity to host more activities on-site, as opposed to virtual events.

Following a successful partnership Birchwood Park has decided to continue supporting the Warrington charity throughout 2023. The Park thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with the charity and wanted to support its great work for even longer.

A spokesperson for Walton Lea Partnership commented: “We’ve been very lucky to be supported by Birchwood Park this year and all our staff are incredibly grateful to hear that the Park will be continuing to partner with us in 2023. Birchwood Park hosts a number of fantastic fundraisers and we’re looking forward to see what the team has planned in the coming months.”

Facilities Co-ordinator at Birchwood Park, Elaine Hoult added: “We’re proud to have raised over £9,100 for the brilliant Walton Lea Partnership.

“As a result of the lockdown restrictions, footfall was significantly reduced in 2021, contributing to less events and ultimately fewer donations. However, last year we were able to get things back to normal and invite people far and wide to come along and visit the Park, as well as welcoming back our occupier staff who had previously worked from home.

Martin continued: “We’ve got a busy 2023 schedule planned for our occupiers and visitors, which will give us the chance to continue with a number of fundraising activities to encourage donations to Walton Lea Partnership, as well as offering some great activities for people to get involved in.”

News

New operator appointed for Shell Store business centre

Hereford’s first dedicated business incubation centre is entering an exciting new phase in 2023 after a new operator was appointed to manage The Shell Store.

The building, on Skylon Park, Hereford Enterprise Zone, has been a huge success since its formal opening in December 2021, welcoming a host of new businesses
and developing an active conference programme.

Now Town Square Spaces Ltd (TownSq), which has an established track record at successfully operating business hubs across the UK, has been appointed by Herefordshire Council to manage the centre.

Mark Pearce, Managing Director of Skylon Park, said: “Given changing working habits such as more employees being offered hybrid and home working post-pandemic, The Shell Store has bucked the trend by demonstrating the demand for high-quality office and conference space where teams can come together and grow.

“The Shell Store offers a unique working environment and we’re delighted to be at 60% occupancy of our office suites as we handover to TownSq, which is promising a host of new benefits for both existing and future tenants including hot-desking and networking events. We’re already home to the Marches Growth Hub and the Chamber of Commerce, giving businesses access to advice and support on site.”

As well as developing a vibrant community of entrepreneurs and remote workers, TownSq will provide everything founders need to start and grow. From infrastructure like professional meeting spaces and high-speed broadband, through to Start Up clubs, Business Accelerators and one-to-one mentorship.

Councillor Ellie Chowns, Cabinet member, environment and economy, Herefordshire Council said: “It’s exciting to see the Shell Store developing as envisaged, offering new and growing businesses the environment needed for their success. This is a unique and historic building that provides the space, facilities and support for innovative new and young enterprises to flourish, helping to create local jobs and build skills and expertise. We’re confident the Shell Store will continue to grow and make a vital contribution to supporting the economy of the county.”

Carl Turner, Community Director of TownSq said: “We’re proud to have been appointed as operators of The Shell Store and we’re excited to get started. We’ve already got some founding members on board and we’ll continue working to welcome more to our thriving community.

“The traditional way of working has changed, and the communities that embrace the importance of inclusive and vibrant workspaces will be the ones that stand out to the talented innovators and founders of future enterprise.

“Coworking is the beating heart of all our workspaces; When people from different businesses and industries work alongside each other, there’s a sharing of ideas that can lead to some incredible collaborations. When you create the environment for individuals and businesses to grow, that ripples out to the benefit of the wider community and the local economy.”

The former World War Two munitions factory was transformed in a £7.3m project funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and a loan from the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (MLEP).

Mandy Thorn MBE, Chair of the Marches LEP, said the Shell Store was an excellent example of the LEP delivering on its promise to work with our partners to create the conditions for economic growth and sustainable job creation across the region through its £18m total investment into the Zone.

“We have supported this project through a £2.4m loan from the Marches Investment Fund because it is vital for the long-term success of our economy that we work to encourage and nurture young businesses, help support innovation and provide a business ecosystem which fosters growth. We’re looking forward to the next stage of the Shell Store’s evolution.”

News

North West business park grows occupier portfolio

Birchwood Park, the North West’s largest out-of-town business destination, is further establishing itself as a leading hub for businesses across the region after welcoming a range of new organisations to the park in the first half of 2022 – as demand for small suite space remains strong.

With the intake of small suite office space buoyant, more than 8,000 sq. ft had already been snapped up across the first six months of the year alone, making Birchwood Park the new home to 16 occupiers spanning a variety of different sectors.

In addition, 34 businesses have committed to remain part of the coveted Birchwood Park community after agreeing to lease renewals on small suites in the same time period, which equates to a combined space of over 13,500 sq. ft retained by current occupiers.

Birchwood Park continues to grow its diverse portfolio of small and medium sized enterprises. Medical communications company Simplifying Science®, school software provider October Resolutions, trade union Prospect, leading health and safety practice PM Connections and recruitment provider LivRecruit, are among the new wave of occupiers to have joined the park in 2022.

In addition to demand from the SME marketplace, Birchwood Park also secured two significant lettings for larger office space within Chadwick House, which houses more than 40 organisations.

Martin O’Rourke, Commercial Director at Birchwood Park, comments: “Despite the ongoing economic uncertainty that has followed the fallout from the pandemic, many SME organisations have re-evaluated what their office space does for them. With Birchwood Park having purpose-built facilities, services and amenities, we are thrilled that more organisations have chosen to join our thriving business community here in the heart of the North West.

“As our occupier portfolio continues to grow in 2022, we are seeing a wide variety of regional, national and international organisations relocating operations to Birchwood Park. It is evident that the hard work to accommodate the needs of businesses no matter their sector is now paying off, and Warrington is now establishing itself alongside major cities such as Liverpool and Manchester as a major business hub in the North of England.”

Work at the park is continuously ongoing to evolve the park’s office and warehouse offering, meeting with all occupier demands. In June, construction work began on a new speculative industrial development, which is set to bring 161,000 sq ft of warehouse space to the region, once completed in the first quarter of 2023.

Linda Welsby, Leasing Manager at Birchwood Park who specialises in small suites lettings, commented: “Following on from the continued growth of Birchwood Park over the past six months, it is clear that our commitment to creating a culture and community to support small businesses is paying off.

“The park’s future is underpinned by our ability to continue to create innovative, flexible and productive office spaces capable to change size and scale for smaller businesses to thrive and grow. No matter the sector, industry or size, Birchwood Park has the expertise, facilities, and services to meet with the requirements of any ambitious SME.

“With continual interest for flexible contracts and the ready-to-let space, going forward we anticipate seeing organisations of all sizes look to relocate and take full advantage of everything Birchwood Park has to offer.”

Commercial Property, News, North of England

North west business park welcomes flurry of new businesses

The North West’s largest out-of-town business destination, Birchwood Park, has welcomed five new small businesses to the park, taking up six small suite office spaces between them.

This latest wave of new lettings comes following an uplift in enquiries from small and medium sized enterprises looking for ready-to-let space at Birchwood Park.

As well as the positive business outlook on bouncing back post-pandemic, another driving factor in the taking-up of small suite spaces is the Park’s flexible leasing offer. Small suites at Birchwood Park are given the freedom to move quickly to suit the business, as they are not immediately tied in with a long lease.

Birchwood Park’s all-inclusive suites offers businesses a range of small office spaces for up to 20 people. The quick and easy leasing process, as well as the ability to upgrade office spaces, allows organisations to either expand or scale down in line with business requirements and is a key factor within the small suites model.  Having the flex to move around particularly before agreements have expired, gives Birchwood Park’s small suite occupiers continuity and ease to grow their business.

The latest small businesses set to join Birchwood Park over the coming weeks span a variety of sectors; they include medical communications company Simplifying Science®, school software provider October Resolutions, trade union Prospect, leading health and safety practice PM Connections and recruitment provider LivRecruit.

One of the new occupiers, Simplifying Science®, works with international pharmaceutical companies and clinical research organisations to translate complex medical and scientific documents into every-day language.

The company believes the excellent transport links to Manchester, Liverpool and the rest of the North West will put the business within reach of a larger geographic population, giving access to a wide range of customers and possibilities for new recruits.

New occupier October Resolutions is a developer of timetabling software for schools, both in the UK and in 90 countries around the world. It has chosen to move to Birchwood Park for its various amenities, such as the on-site cafés, restaurants and gym, as well as the green open-spaces surrounding the park grounds.

Linda Welsby, Leasing Manager at Birchwood Park who specialising in small suites lettings, commented: “We’re delighted to welcome a batch of new smaller businesses to Birchwood Park. It’s clear that North West businesses are looking forward with positivity, given the influx of enquiries we’ve experienced on the Park, but that flexibility is key when it comes to matching the office space requirements of these businesses.

“At Birchwood Park, we offer exactly that; flexible contracts and office spaces perfect for small businesses looking to grow, as well as take advantage of the various on-site services and events available exclusively to employees as perks of the park.

“We hope by joining us, businesses can take full advantage of Birchwood Park’s location – right in the heart of the North-West and perfect for accessing local talent pools in Manchester and Liverpool”.

Birchwood Park’s on-site amenities have certainly been proven to be a pull-factor for many outside businesses seeking occupancy at the Park. These include the green open spaces, numerous cafés and restaurants, as well as the Park’s gym, Alive & Well being made available to occupiers for a discounted rate. Additionally, the unique wellbeing event and amenities offer provide a bank of ready-made wellbeing services for occupiers to take advantage of upon immediately joining Birchwood Park.

Speaking on behalf of Simplifying Science®, Director Chris Birchall added: “We’re thrilled to be relocating our office to Birchwood Park. We understand that the park cares very much about promoting employee wellness and workplace wellbeing, as do we.” Company Founder, Danielle Birchall, remarked “That is one of the reasons why we moved to Birchwood Park, as our staff will be able to take full advantage of the great facilities available here, such as the EngineRooms and the on-site nursery”.

Chris Johnson, Director at October Resolutions, also commented on the move: “The location was a driving factor in our move to Birchwood Park. Situated right in the heart of the North West, the Park will open up recruitment opportunities by giving us access to talent pools across the region.

“As well as the location – our staff look forward to taking full advantage of the green, open spaces and excellent facilities available at the Park. Given that we do a lot of posting this time of the year, having a mail-room on-site is ideal for us”.

To find out about the diverse range of office spaces available at Birchwood Park, please head to https://www.birchwoodpark.co.uk/space-to-let/ or call the team on 01925 851536.

Commercial Property, News

The Office is back: Research reveals the ultimate working week formula, as 95% of employees say they’re ready to be back in the workplace

As ‘work from home’ advice ends and workers are encouraged to head back to the office, a study by the north-west’s largest out of town business park, Warrington-based Birchwood Park, has revealed the majority (82%) of us are happy to be heading back into the office at least 2 days a week – but employees have extra demands to improve satisfaction at work.

With 95% of people shunning working from home every day, Birchwood Park’s research revealed the reasons behind this shift in attitude towards homeworking lay in the impact on work-life balance and convenience.

Amongst the biggest factors having a negative impact on our lives whilst working from home are increased screen time and longer hours (45%), feeling disconnected from our colleagues (44%), and increased difficulty in switching off at the end of the day (32%).

Additionally, the office has a key role to play beyond work with 73% of workers valuing the ability to socialise with colleagues above all other benefits.

However, it’s clear employers need to do more to support staff in transitioning back into office-based working, with less than 50% of those surveyed expressing that the company they work for is doing enough to support workplace wellbeing.

Coming out as the top areas in which employees would like to see the most improvement from their employers is the introduction of flexi-time, greater flexibility to work from home as required, and adaptations to the workplace such as break out areas, quiet working facilities and desk adaptations for greater comfort.

Commenting on the findings, Martin O’Rourke, Commercial Director at Birchwood Park, said: ““After almost two years of home-working for some, the results are very clear – people want to return to the office, and we’re seeing an increase in interest in office space here on the park as a result.

“However, it is troubling to learn that many do not feel that their wellbeing is thoroughly supported by their employer. That’s why we’ve launched our Workplace Wellbeing hub – to help employers understand that the office plays a much bigger role than simply being a place to work, and offer advice on how to better support their staff at work.”

As part of Birchwood Park’s ongoing commitment to facilitating wellbeing in the workplace, the business park’s content hub is its latest initiative to help make improving staff wellbeing easier for a business, and will feature a handbook developed in collaboration with workplace wellbeing expert and founder of award-winning Rener Wellbeing, Khalil Rener, alongside a charter calling for all businesses on the park to commit to best practise advice.

Speaking about the project, Khalil Rener commented: “It’s refreshing to be working with a business destination so committed to supporting the wellbeing of employees across multiple industries and sectors, and our hope is that Birchwood Park’s Workplace Wellbeing Handbook will act as a catalyst for change for businesses.

“With government advice shifting away from a ‘work from home order’, it yet again means change for businesses and employees alike which is tough. Yes, the novelty has worn off when it comes to working from home so it’s not surprising that 95% of people do not wish to work from home full-time, but it’s vital that employers don’t assume it’ll all be plain sailing as soon as we’re back in the office. Our aim is to provide clear guidance on the journey back to office-working, ensuring it is a smooth transition for employers and their team.”

For more information on Birchwood Park’s campaign to improve workplace wellbeing and support in the transition back into the workplace, visit https://bit.ly/3sFCVqN

Commercial Property, News, North of England

World-leading technical engineer Integral UK arrives at Birchwood Park

Birchwood Park, the North West’s largest out-of-town business destination, has welcomed business service provider Integral UK to the park, making it the 22nd new occupier to make the move to the park in 2021.

The move by Integral UK will see up to 70 employees working out of its Birchwood Park office, situated just outside of Warrington, and will create further job opportunities and boost footfall to the local area.

Integral UK, part of the JLL Group, will be taking 10,540 sqft of space in Birchwood Park’s Chadwick House to house a contact centre for its help desk, which supports thousands of directly employed mobile engineers across the U.K.

Birchwood Park is considered the perfect location for Integral UK due to its prime location and being situated right in the heart of the North-West. It is well connected to several key towns and cities across the region and ensures access to wider recruitment and talent pools in Warrington, Manchester and Liverpool.

Richard Wharton, director in Jones Lang LaSalle’s national office agency team, commented: “Following an extensive search of the Birchwood area, including the serviced office market, Chadwick House was the unanimous choice for Integral’s new northern office, bringing all staff together on a single high quality floorplate within a scheme offering a wide range of amenities.”

Martin O’Rourke, Commercial Director at Birchwood Park, also commented: “We are proud to welcome yet another occupier to Birchwood Park, in what represents a hugely successful calendar year for the park. Integral UK makes for yet another world-leading business joining our occupiers here at Birchwood Park.

“We’ve designed our whole site to provide as many versatile workspace options as possible, along with the very best in transport links and amenities and we hope Integral UK’s employees are able to make the most of the facilities on offer.”

To find out about the diverse range of businesses located at Birchwood Park, please head to https://www.birchwoodpark.co.uk/ or call the team on 01925 851536.

News, North of England

Bumper quarter for North West business park

Bumper quarter for Birchwood Park as wave of businesses move in

  • Nine businesses join Birchwood Park to make quarter three most successful of 2021 to date
  • Equity Release Supermarket, the UK’s no.1 independent equity release advisory service, amongst businesses welcomed to the park
  • The number of businesses taking up small suite facilities is on track to outperform both last year and 2019

The North West’s largest out-of-town business destination, Birchwood Park, welcomes nine businesses to the park across a mixture of office suites and warehouse facilities – making it the most successful quarter of 2021 to date.

The most recent addition to Birchwood Park is award-winning equity release experts Equity Release Supermarket, the UK’s No.1 independent equity release advisory service.  After an incredible 12 months of growth, the business has taken up 4,607 sq. ft. of office space at Birchwood Park’s Bridgewater Place.

Equity Release Supermarket was also joined by a host of businesses in quarter three taking up occupancy in Birchwood Park’s small suite facilities. These facilities come with more flexible leasing terms, which allows for changing business needs.

In total, eight new companies have taken small suites facilities at Birchwood Park, totalling 6,460 sq. ft. of office space this quarter. In the year to date, Birchwood Park has welcomed 21 new companies to its small suite facilities, on track to surpass the number of small suite deals both last year and 2019.

Birchwood Park is the perfect location for businesses looking to expand, like Equity Release Supermarket and it provides an excellent base for businesses – whether just starting up or looking for more space.

Martin O’Rourke, Commercial Director at Birchwood Park, also commented: “We are delighted to welcome Equity Release Supermarket and eight small suite businesses to Birchwood Park and we hope that being situated right in the heart of the North-West, with access to several key towns and cities across the region, will provide each of the businesses joining us with the tools to aid both recruitment and boost connectivity.

“Being able to support businesses, regardless of size or sector, by combining a great central base with the flexibility to adapt our offer to suit business needs is always a huge plus for the team on the Park. We look forward to seeing each of the new businesses thrive!”

News

US manufacturer chooses Birchwood Park to be the new European HQ

Global Manufacturer  KLEEN-TEX Announces Birchwood Park as New European HQ

 

  • One of the world’s leading manufacturers of commercial and residential mats, Kleen-Tex, has chosen Birchwood Park as its new European headquarters.

 

Birchwood Park, the North West’s largest out-of-town business destination, is delighted to welcome global manufacturer of commercial and residential mats, Kleen-Tex, as its latest occupier to the Park. The deal was secured in partnership with agents B8 Real Estate and JLL.

Founded in the 1960’s, Kleen-Tex’s global headquarters is in Atlanta, Georgia, with its mats being found across the world – from the foyers of offices, banks, hotels and restaurants through to sporting facilities – including providing mats for the 2021 Champions League.

Following an extensive search to find the perfect location, offering more warehousing capacity plus attractive surroundings for both its employees and European visitors, Kleen-Tex has relocated to Birchwood Park, and is planning on making use of its excellent transport links to expand further into the B2C market.

Gary Haynes, Managing Director of Kleen-Tex Europe, commented: “Birchwood Park’s proximity to two international airports, good rail links, as well as an excellent motorway network made it a clear choice for our new European headquarters – it’s right in the heart of the North West – a long-standing home to the textile sector in the UK.

“One of the key reasons we chose Birchwood Park was with the wellbeing of our staff and customers in mind, something that we know Birchwood Park cares very deeply about. Our office is brand new and built to the latest standards, coupled with a vast range of amenities. We felt that the whole ethos ultimately matches our business objectives and aspirations – which are to provide a better work environment for each and every member of staff.

“Once lockdown restrictions are eased, we also look forward to inviting our international colleagues and enjoying all the benefits that Birchwood Park offers to its occupiers.”

Martin O’Rourke, Commercial Director at Birchwood Park, added: “We’re delighted to welcome another global manufacturer to Birchwood Park, and to be boosting our reputation within the region accordingly.

“Wellbeing is a priority at Birchwood Park, and it’s great to our new occupiers recognise the solutions we have created to support company wellbeing strategy to benefit their staff.  We look forward to showing it’s colleagues the various amenities the park has to offer for them to enjoy!”

To find out about the diverse range of businesses located at Birchwood Park, please head to https://www.birchwoodpark.co.uk/

For further information about Kleen-Tex’s extensive range of matting solutions, please visit https://www.kleen-tex.co.uk

News

Warrington business park sees record take-up despite challenging year

Birchwood Park, the North West’s largest out-of-town business destination, has seen record take up of industrial and office space over the past 12 months – with significant increase in demand from both the online retail and engineering sectors.

 

With more than 80 deals worth in excess of £2.8m negotiated this past year, Birchwood Park has welcomed 30 new organisations to the Park – taking over 140,000 sq. ft of space – despite the challenges brought about by the global pandemic. The Park also saw a record 51 businesses committing to contract renewals, equating to 80,000 sq. ft retained by current occupiers.

 

Key deals secured include Harris MAXUS’ new headquarters taking up 24,239 sq. ft space, alongside British Engineering Services who have taken up occupancy at the Park’s 718 Eddington Way in an 18,000 sq. ft warehouse facility. In its latest deal, the park has secured its largest letting to date at just over 59,000 sq.ft.

 

The success follows the completion of the second phase of the Park’s Cavendish Warehouse development last year which brought 170,000 sq. ft of prime industrial warehouse space to the region.

 

Martin O’Rourke, Commercial Director at Birchwood Park, comments: “After what has been an incredibly challenging 12 months for many, we are thrilled at the success we have managed to achieve at Birchwood Park this year – surpassing both last year’s figure and our long-term average. We have worked hard to accommodate the needs of potential occupiers and we’re excited to see continued growth as more industry-leading names join us here on the Park.”

 

Occupiers at Birchwood Park can take advantage of on-site parking and benefit from all the added amenities including free shuttle bus to Birchwood station, discounted gym memberships and the newly refurbished EngineRooms offering an all-day Meet Eat Work facility, all whilst being positioned within easy access of Junction 11 of the M62.

 

Most recently Birchwood Park has continued to invest in improving provisions for its occupiers, including the creation of brand new outdoor seating areas and more collaborative break out spaces. In addition, Birchwood Park operates a programme of events and initiatives, currently virtually, aimed at improving the wellbeing of occupiers’ staff based on the Park.

For more information visit: https://www.birchwoodpark.co.uk/