Roofing manufacturer crosses Irish Sea to establish West Yorkshire base

A designer and manufacturer of roof trusses, joists and tiles, based in Ireland, has announced plans to set up a new base in West Yorkshire.

Rafferty Roof Trusses, headquartered in Coleraine, County Londonderry, has leased a 10,000 sq ft warehouse with office space at Station Yard, Exley Lane, near Elland..

Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH), the commercial property consultancy, secured the letting on behalf of warehouse owner Joseph Dobson & Sons, a family-run confectionery manufacturer based in Elland since 1850.

Following this deal, LSH has issued a warning that a shortage of available modern industrial buildings could damage the region’s potential of attracting further businesses.

According to LSH’s annual report on the Industrial and Logistics market, supply remains extremely tight. Although total availability increased by 9% during 2017, this was entirely at the larger end of the logistics market while space among the smaller size-bands fell to record lows.

Richard Corby, director at LSH in Leeds, said: “Rafferty Roof Trusses has found an excellent base from which to service growing demand for its products.

“There is strong demand for quality industrial space across Yorkshire, thanks to its excellent links to the motorway network and skilled labour market.

“However, our research shows that supply of modern warehouse space for smaller occupiers has now reached a critically low point. Additional stock is urgently required because, as this letting demonstrates, occupier demand and competition for space are intense.”

Rafferty Roof Trusses was directed to the availability of the property by the Leeds city region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).