J Tomlinson starts work on Midlands industrial and warehouse scheme

The Steelpark Trading Estate, Wednesfield

J Tomlinson has begun construction of a multimillion-pound speculative development of a range of industrial and warehouse units at a key Midlands site.

Commercial property company Goold Estates expects the scheme of about 70,000 sq ft of units at Steelpark Trading Estate, Wednesfield, in the West Midlands to attract significant investment and generate dozens of new jobs.

Managing director (construction) of Nottingham-based J Tomlinson, Martin Gallagher, said: “We are very pleased to be involved in this speculative development. As a company, J Tomlinson has wide experience of designing and constructing industrial and warehouse units across the Midlands for a range of clients. We are delighted to be working with Goold Estates for the first time.

“Our presence in the West Midlands has gone from strength to strength, supported by our growing office in Canwell, near Sutton Coldfield, and we are looking forward to continuing our relationship with existing clients in the region and also developing relationships with new clients like Goold Estates – helping them to create first-class developments.”   

The Steelpark Trading Estate development is expected to reach practical completion early in 2018.

Dominic Goold, managing director of Walsall-based Goold Estates, said: “It is great to see construction underway. We are looking forward to delivering a high-quality development, which will attract investment and jobs to the region.

“The Steelpark site, which is adjacent to the Tata Steel Automotive Service Centre, has been vacant and available for development for many years. We acquired it in September last year and we’ve acted quickly to secure planning consent and get the development underway. 

“All of the units are being built speculatively, for sale or lease, because we are confident there is a strong demand in the market. These will be high quality industrial units in a sought-after location with excellent access to the motorway network, being just 4.6 miles west of J10 M6 and four miles south of J1 M54.”

Finance Birmingham has arranged speculative development finance to help fund the project through the West Midlands Combined Authority Collective Investment Fund CIF. 

Councillor John Reynolds, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “There is £3.7 billion of investment on site or in the pipeline in the City of Wolverhampton and this is another boost for our regeneration plans.

“The Steelpark Trading Estate development will bring back to life a site that has been redundant for many years, while at the same time protect wildlife in the area. It shows there is confidence in investing in Wolverhampton and most importantly it will bring dozens of jobs to the city.”

J Tomlinson, which last year opened a new West Midlands headquarters at Canwell after experiencing expansion in the region, provides a range of integrated building solutions including construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical services (M&E), and facilities management.  It operates across the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire.

For more information about J Tomlinson, visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham based Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Croots Farm Shop helps put Great British family businesses on the map

Steve and Kay Croot

Derbyshire farm shop Croots is hosting a visit from the Family Business Road Trip 2017.

On April 24^th, Family Business United begins its annual tour of some of the UK’s most successful family businesses with the launch of The Family Business Road Trip 2017 in the South West – with plans to visit Croots Farm Shop the following month.

The Family Business Road Trip is an innovative event that celebrates the essential contribution family firms make to national GDP and regional economies, and, as a family firm, Croots is delighted to be taking part in the event this year.

In the UK, the family business sector accounts for more than 4 million firms, £1.1 trillion in turnover (almost a quarter of UK GDP) and employs more than nine million people. In addition, the top 20 family owned firms in the UK generate turnover in excess of £49 billion.

Family firm Sturgess Jaguar is providing the car for the trip and the event is being sponsored by PwC, Farrer & Co, Western Pension Solutions and Close Brothers Asset Management. The Family Business Road Trip 2017 runs for six weeks covering Yorkshire to the Lake District and the Midlands to London, East Anglia, Sussex and a whole host of counties in between.

It will be popping into Croots Farm Shop at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, near Duffield, on Monday May 15^th.

Steve Croot, who runs the farm shop with wife Kay, said: “Croots Farm Shop is very much a family affair, based on the farm run by Kay’s parents and the place where she grew up. Our staff are part of that extended family, and we’ve even got my sister Val involved, as after her appearance on the Great British Bake Off TV programme last year, she’s launched a range of bakes at our farm shop here in Derbyshire.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming the Family Business Road Trip 2017 during May. It’s great that they recognise the value that family businesses bring to the economy.”

Over the six weeks, the tour will meet with families behind some of the UK’s most noteworthy businesses, including Wyke Farms, Thatchers Cider, Cotteswold Dairy, Heck Foods, Troy Foods, Arighi Bianchi and Hypnos Beds.

Penny Lovell, head of private client services at Close Brothers Asset Management, said: “Family businesses are a key driver of the economy and we look forward to meeting some of the UK’s most successful firms.”

Sian Steele, head of family business at PwC in the UK, added: “Events such as this enable us to see first-hand the real diversity of the family business sector and the great contribution they make to the local, national and international economy.”

Richard Lane, head of family business at Farrer & Co, added: “It is a real pleasure to meet family business owners in their own environments, to see the passion they have for what they do, and in many cases, have been doing for generations. It reinforces our understanding of the sector and is a real insight into the family business world.”

Paul Andrews, Founder and managing director of Family Business United, concluded: “Family firms are the very backbone of the UK economy, and we are excited to be meeting with some of the best known family businesses in the UK, as well as some lesser-known hidden gems. We want to celebrate the businesses that do so much for the country, by helping them to link up and share the knowledge and experience of other family businesses, as well as having access to advice from who are committed to helping family businesses shine. The Family Business Road Trip is a great way for us to champion the sector and to help put some great British family businesses on the map.”

More details are at www.familybusinessunited.com

All of the visits will be covered with pictures and quotes throughout the trip on social media. The Family Business Road Trip 2017 can be followed on twitter by using #FBRoadtrip2017.

Paul concluded: "This is the fourth year that we are undertaking the trip around the UK and we are undoubtedly going to meet some great businesses, some inspirational family business and their leaders and we are really looking forward to putting the family business sector on the map.”

Croots Farm Shop is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm (Shires Eatery until 4.30pm) and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays. Croots runs Fresh Fish Thursdays between 9am and 1pm on Thursdays.

For more information, visit www.croots.co.uk Find Croots on Twitter @crootsfarm_shop or on Facebook www.facebook.com/Croots-Farm-Shop

Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk