4 | Tees Business
Serving the Teesside Business Community | 5
/NEWS
BUSINESS BITES
WILTON CENTRE
LETTINGS DOUBLE
The region’s most established business
and science park has seen its lettings
figures double in the past twelve
months.
The total amount of space let to new
and existing tenants at the Wilton
Centre in 2014, at almost 59,000 ft, is
more than 50% higher than the previous
year, when 23,000 sq ft was signed up.
Total occupancy is now running at 70%
at the 75 acre site located between
Middlesbrough and Redcar, up from
57% in 2011.
ALDI TO CREATE 30 NEW JOBS
Discount retailer Aldi is opening a shop
in Billingham, near Stockton, which it
says will deliver about 30 posts.
Aldi previously drew up plans for the
outlet, and developer St Modwen says
it has now sold a 1.6 acre site to the
supermarket.
The area was once home to the
Billingham Arms hotel.
The sale comes after St Modwen last
year bought Billingham town centre for
£14.25m, ahead of a revamp of shops,
leisure and business facilities.
VIRGIN MEDIA
EXPANSION PLANS
Broadband and TV firm Virgin Media is
preparing to create North-East jobs as it
launches a £3bn expansion.
The company says it aims to deliver
6,000 posts across the UK, as well
as 1,000 apprenticeships, in plans to
extend its broadband network.
Virgin Media - which has a call centre in
Stockton and offices in Gateshead and
Newcastle - says the new jobs will cover
construction, engineering and sales and
customer support roles.
TEESSIDE PROPERTY BUSINESS
LAUNCHED
The region’s newest commercial agency
practice has opened its doors on
Teesside.
New site - an image of how Clinkard’s new
Middlesbrough store will look.
FOOTWEAR RETAILER TO
OPEN NEW £3M HEAD OFFICE
T
eesside family firm Charles Clinkard
has unveiled plans for a new £3m head
office and warehouse to house the
rising levels of stock needed to meet its
online sales.
The company is building its new head
office and warehouse on the site of the
former ‘At Home’ store at Cannon Park in
Middlesbrough.
The site has stood empty for many years.
Managing director Charles Clinkard said:
“We haven’t worked out the finer details yet
as the deal is still going through but it will be
great for the business.
“It will take us around six months to
rebuild and we’re hoping to open it in
January 2016.
“The new space will hold a lot more
stock and this will set us up for the future,
providing us with the opportunity to grow to
the next level.
”
Work is likely to start in April on the 5,000
sqm building.
The lease on the company’s current head
office and warehouse at Eveline House at
Preston Farm expires later this year.
It provided the perfect opportunity for
the company to identify a new location to
grow its operation, not least of which is its
increasing online market.
The company is forecast to achieve £6m
in online sales this year, with that figure
expected to rise to £10m over the next three
years.
More than 90 people are employed in the
head office and warehouse and as online
Chartered surveyor Tim Carter has
launched Connect Property North East.
The company will trade from prestigious
offices on the Preston Farm Business
Park.
Connect Property will provide a niche
agency and investment specialism
across the office, retail and industrial
sectors, throughout the Tees Valley,
County Durham and North Yorkshire.
TEES BIZ ONLINE!
You can catch up with all the latest
business news from around Teesside
at www.teesbusiness.co.uk
P
Boss
awarded
MBE
sales increase Charles Clinkard is hopeful
more jobs will be created.
The company estimates that for every
£1m increase in online sales five jobs will be
created.
Local companies and a local labour force
will be used on the construction wherever
possible.
Councillor Charlie Rooney, Middlesbrough
Council’s Executive Member for
Regeneration, said: “We are delighted to be
welcoming Charles Clinkard’s HQ back to
Middlesbrough, complementing their existing
shop’s presence on Corporation Road.
“This announcement is great news for
Middlesbrough town centre.
“The company is a distinguished name in
retail and we should be proud both that it
began life here and that it is now returning.
“The development will be fantastic for
the local economy and will bring with it
numerous benefits to the town.
“We are looking forward to seeing the
plans brought to life as, from the look of
the proposed building and landscaping, it
will change the face of Cannon Park and
most likely encourage others to bring their
business to the area.
”
Charles Clinkard’s grandparents opened
the company’s first store in Middlesbrough
in 1924. The company now has 33 stores
nationwide employing more than 600 staff.
As part of the 90th anniversary
celebrations in 2014 the company gave away
hundreds of pounds of prizes each month as
part of a Win Shoes for a Year competition.
D Ports CEO David Robinson was awarded an
MBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services
to international trade and the UK economy.
Mr Robinson was appointed chief executive officer
of PD Ports in 2006 after joining the Company in 2002
as managing director of Teesport, one of the UK’s top
three ports.
In the last 12 years, David has steered the Company
through some tough challenges including a difficult
recession, which was compounded by the temporary
loss of steel making on Teesside.
Under his direction, PD Ports has continued to
invest in both its people and infrastructure, including a
£16.7m expansion of the ‘Teesport Container Terminal’
in 2011 and dedicated bespoke apprenticeship
programmes.
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