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First tenant revealed at new £7m Gateshead trade park

The recently completed £7m Portobello Trade Park in Gateshead has secured its first tenant.

The Bathroom Cladding Shop, which supplies bathroom wall panels, ceiling panels, trims and fittings to customers throughout the UK, has taken a 10 year lease on a 12,000sqft unit.

The company says the move is part of an expansion plan that will double the space it currently occupies and enable them to take on seven new staff.

Portobello Trade Park, which is located on a 6.5 acre site immediately adjacent to the A1(M) at Birtley, comprises 15 industrial units specifically for SME’s, ranging in size from 195sqm (2,100sqft) to 2,137sqm (23,000sqft).

Ravensworth Developments took practical completion of the scheme last month following a ten-month construction period and say they are close to securing further deals.

Steven Stipetic, director at the Bathroom Cladding Shop said: “Following a period of significant business growth we have outgrown our existing site and are in need of much larger premises to enable us to house more stock and accommodate new staff. This move will be key to our continued growth, the highly visible and accessible location of the new premises will make it easier for customers to find us and improve the efficiency of our UK wide distribution”

Geoff Clark, development manager at Ravensworth said: “Following a severe lack of new industrial development in the region Portobello provides the first opportunity since the recession for SME’s to acquire brand new, high quality premises in the Gateshead area and we are very pleased to have secured our first tenant. We now have interest in over fifty percent of the development and a further two units in solicitors hands, which are expected to complete imminently.”

Nick Atkinson of HTA Real Estate said “There has been a huge amount of interest in this scheme and we are delighted to get the first unit let to coincide with practical completion.”

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