Despite a fragile economy it would appear that a significant number of companies are not only coping but actually growing! Budworth Hardcastle who deal with the majority of industrial agency work in Corby have witnessed a busy year in securing occupiers for vacant industrial space.

Gilbert Harvey, a Director based at the Kettering office of Budworth Hardcastle has had a busy 12 months.‘To promote economic growth in an area such as Corby you need to do two fundamental things: you need to secure inward investment when the opportunity arises and facilitate the expansion plans of companies already established in the town’.

In Spring 2009 Budworth Hardcastle Ltd secured the relocation to Corby of Fage (UK) Ltd who make and distribute the branded ‘Totally Greek Yoghurt’ to all major supermarket chains in the UK. The overwhelming number of transactions though are linked to established manufacturers and distribution uses expanding in the town.

On the Earlstrees employment area of the town local company Kermi have expanded into Unit L Marconi Courtyard and now operate out of 27,000sq.ft of space.

Also on Marconi Courtyard Gilbert Harvey was instrumental in letting a smaller 3,658sq.ft unit to Artspec. “The owners of Marconi Courtyard are acutely aware of the pressures on occupiers of industrial space in the town and took the decision to offer significant incentives to attract new space take up. For instance any occupier looking to commit to a five year term can take this newly refurbished space at a discounted rent level of £1 per sq.ft for the first 12 months”.Budworth Hardcastle are advising on the remaining vacant units on this scheme.

The firm have recently let 22,000sq.ft at Causeway Road on Earlstrees to Szanenberg Food (UK) Ltd. Gilbert Harvey says ‘this company is connected with Puredrive. Again, the landlord in this instance tailored the terms of the new lease specifically to ensure this deal was delivered given the fragile nature of the market any landlord who can show flexibility generally secures results’.

On the Phoenix Parkway area of the town Budworth Hardcastle are along with Lambert Smith Hampton jointly promoting a 23 acre site branded Manton Park. Peterborough based developers Frenbury are promoting this land with a view to securing employment uses where companies need bespoke design and build units. Philip Arnold, Director at Budworth Hardcastle fronting this project remains hopeful that occupiers needing specialist space will be identified “there are many production processes in the town operating out of buildings which are over 25 years old; there comes a point when ongoing and adaptation of these old buildings becomes uneconomic. This centrally development site would offer an ideal opportunity for companies involved in food processing/packaging the inherent compromises involved in adapting old buildings and move to a brand new bespoke production units. Frenbury have a track record of delivering competitively priced units.They can quickly provide indicative costings to anyone wanting a compare new build prices against the cost of upgrading older properties”

Close to the Manton Park site there have been two notable transactions. Budworth Hardcastle let a 3,500sq.ft unit to Ortomotion in April 2009. This deal was quickly followed by the letting of another 3,500sqft on Whittle Road where Intersnack Ltd took a purpose built unit on a new lease.