Leeds-based property developer begins work at £50m business park

Leeds-based developers Eshton has started work on a new national distribution centre at Lancashire’s £50m Burnley Bridge Business Park.

The 543,620 sq ft centre will be used by Exertis, one of Europe’s largest technology distribution and specialist service providers.

Eshton, the Yorkshire property investment and development specialist, is tasked with delivering the park and appointed construction group Bowmer & Kirkland to build the centre to Exertis’s specifications.

Expected to be completed in May 2016, the building will feature a 433,946 sq ft warehouse, two mezzanine floors totalling 66,478 sq ft and 43,196 sq ft of office space.

510 Exertis staff, currently based seven at Altham Business Park, near Accrington, are believed to be re-locating to the site with this number increasing to 800 staff when the site is fully operational, which is due to be by early 2017.

The deal between Eshton and Exertis includes additional land, providing scope to extend the premises by 200,000 sq ft in the future.

Exertis, which has other existing UK facilities in Raunds, Northamptonshire and Elland, West Yorkshire, partners with 350 global technology brands and over 14,000 resellers, e-commerce operators and retailers across Europe.

The company recorded turnover of £2.3bn and grew by over 22% in the last full financial year.

Gerry O’Keeffe, Exertis UK and Ireland managing director, said: “We’re very excited to see work under way at Burnley Bridge Business Park. The new centre will greatly assist us in our mission of helping customer and vendor partners access an ever-improving range of services and opportunities, which drive their businesses forward, by allowing us to continue expanding our distribution operations.”

The government-backed Burnley Business Park, launched 18 months ago, is a strategic 70-acre development, at Junction 9 of the M65. When complete, the park will provide 680,000 sq ft of industrial and distribution space, offering units from 2,000 sq ft upwards, and is expected to create 1,400 jobs.

Gary Bradley, divisional director, Bowmer & Kirkland, said: “We’re delighted now to be on-site and getting works underway. Construction of the building will be delivered locally through specialist teams and we are looking forward to showing Eshton and Exertis how we’ll turn their new distribution centre from vision to reality.”

James Chapman, managing director, Eshton, said: “It’s great to see construction of the Exertis distribution centre underway. This is physical proof not only of Burnley Bridge Business Park’s potential but how the commercial property sector is bouncing back. We are experiencing a surge in enquiries, which reflects the increasing demand in the area for high quality space and excellent links to the motorway network.”

Existing occupants at Burnley Bridge Business Park include: catering wholesaler Birchall Food Service; Townsend Music, which provides distribution, fulfilment, merchandise and printing services; general builder, electrical contractor and groundworks specialist Equinox Building Services; and YESSS Electrical, the wholesale electrical supplies, service and solutions provider.