Member Article

Petrochemicals manufacturing giant makes 15 year commitment to Teesside

One of the world’s largest petrochemicals manufacturers has taken a new 15 year lease on its 29,000 sq ft of office space at Teesside science park, the Wilton Centre.

SABIC has committed to the new office lease on the back of completing a multi-million pound upgrade to its Olefins 6 plant, commonly known as The Cracker, at the neighbouring Wilton International site earlier this year, securing the jobs of its 600 employees on Teesside.

The deal to retain SABIC on the 75 acre science and business park follows lettings of 40,000 sq ft of office and training space to international electrical safety training provider The Faraday Training Group, and of 15,000 sq ft of office and laboratory space to FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, a world leading developer and manufacturer of biologics-based medicines.

Following these three deals nearly 80% of the office, laboratory and plant space is now let at the Wilton Centre.

Daren Smith, SABIC Site Director (acting), said: “The Wilton Centre is an ideal location for the Headquarters of SABIC UK Petrochemicals Limited and I am delighted that we have committed to continue our presence here for the long term future.

“The infrastructure, access and facilities within the Centre are superb and meet the diverse needs of our organisation very well, from our laboratories to our training facilities.

“The nature of the other businesses and organisations that are based here such as NEPIC, ensure we continue to collaborate and work in partnership to ensure the success of the process industry on Teesside for decades to come.”

Steve Duffield, Site Director at the Wilton Centre. Added: “We are delighted that SABIC has re-committed to the Wilton Centre for the next 15 years,.

“This petrochemicals business has been established at the Wilton Centre for over forty years under previous guises, and as SABIC since 2006. This further long-term commitment is a great endorsement for the Wilton Centre and its facilities.”

“SABIC, FUJIFILM, and Faraday Training are all leaders in their industries and are exactly the sort of occupiers we want to retain and attract to the Wilton Centre to make use of our unique combination of office, laboratory and process development space.

“The Centre’s owners Angelo Gordon and Trinity Investment Management, which acquired the business park in February 2016, are especially keen to see leading scientific research and development businesses at the Wilton Centre and at their other science and technology parks in the UK.”

Middlesbrough-based commercial property agent Dodds Brown represented the Wilton Centre in the deals.

Stephen Brown, Senior Partner at Dodds Brown, says: “With 60 organisations, employing around 800 people, based at the Wilton Centre, it is a real hub of economic activity and regeneration on Teesside, providing premium research and office space for many diverse businesses, including those working in industry sectors which benefit from clustering together.”