One of the UK’s leading forklift truck specialists is among the first businesses to move into a major new North-East industrial estate that was previously base for a giant television manufacturing site.
Cathedral Pallet Trucks is already considering plans to double the size of its new 5,000 sq ft premises on Mandale Business Park near Durham by expanding into a neighbouring unit.
Cathedral managing director Phil Trott is in advanced talks with two of the UK’s biggest retailers over a contract that would boost their £1 million turnover by a further third.
Trott, who started Cathedral 25 years ago with “one van, one box of tools and one pound in the bank”, says the firm will create more jobs and may need to double the size of its new premises if the talks reach a successful conclusion.
The thriving materials handling company, who specialise in the hire and sale of fork lift trucks and pallet trucks, already boasts some of the UK’s most recognisable brands among a long list of high-end customers including Debenhams, Staples, Dixons, Homebase and UK Mail.
Now Mandale Business Park’s owners are keen to attract more growing firms from across the region keen to take advantage of the industrial estate’s state-of-the-art facilities.
A £20 million investment from Teesside’s leading commercial property developers, the Mandale Group, has transformed what was once the base for a 3,000-strong LG Philips workforce.
Boasting easy access to the A1 (M), Mandale Business Park features a combination of fully refurbished, state-of-the-art industrial units and 10,000 sq ft of modern office space.
Situated two miles east of the city of Durham, the park sits within a well-established commercial zone which is already home to such notable names as the Home Group, Durham and Darlington Fire Service, Age UK and a number of major car dealerships including BMW and Mini.
The three-storey Severn House is an impressive new build with state-of-the-art office accommodation that can be sub-divided to any required dimensions, and with facilities that have already attracted BHP Law, North of England Newspapers, engineering firm NG Bailey and an NHS dental training centre.
Closeby is the high quality warehousing and industrial space of Witham House, the first stage of a major commercial development that will eventually see Mandale Business Park provide around 250,000 sq ft of business space.
Completely refurbished by Mandale from the former LG Philips factory, along with Cathedral units have also been snapped up by sign specialists Orgatex UK and logistics leaders Viveros Group.
Four further units are available to buy or let within Witham House together with two further nearby commercial units.
Bespoke fit-outs to suit individual requirements are offered by Mandale, who can tailor loading facilities, office accommodation, external circulation and extensive yard areas.
With dimensions ranging from 2,700 sq ft, all units have been “future-proofed” by Mandale, with property specialist Joe Darragh explaining: “We’ve designed all the units with energy efficiency in mind, ensuring we keep running and maintenance costs low.
“Each of the units have been recladded, roofs and floors have been replaced and new car parks installed. These are hi-tech facilities, as good as you’ll find anywhere – warm, insulated units with high-quality lighting.
“What we’ve done for firms who’ve already taken units is work closely with them to understand their requirements and ensure they get exactly what they want.
“For Cathedral Pallet Trucks, for instance, we designed and created an admin office, kitchens, toilets and a mess room with high-quality electrics, lighting and heating.
Trott said of Cathedral’s new unit: “It’s like we’ve gone from a rusty Mondeo to a brand new, top-of-the-range Maserati.
“It was built to our spec, tailored to our needs, with Mandale ensuring front of house was exactly what we wanted, while we’ve invested behind the scenes.
“We couldn’t be happier and it’s already helping us attract new, high quality staff. I hope it’s going to be our home for good.”
- For more details about Mandale Business Park, Joe Darragh can be contacted on 07973 908599.