Serving the Teesside Business Community | 65
THINK BIG
Businessman Andy Preston
shows how top-quality office
space can take off on Teesside
By Martin Walker
B
usinessman Andy Preston says
there is real demand for Grade A
office space on Teesside – after fully
letting his own.
The high-profile entrepreneur and charity
leader – along with a business partner – has
already let almost 30,000 sq ft of space to
a range of small and large companies after
investing in two large buildings in Stockton.
Almost 7,000 sq ft of space was let to
IT service management firm Pulsant, and
recently they have let a further 10,000 sq ft
to Dutch logistics company Den Hartogh.
But Preston is most proud of the Level
Q office development he and his partner
Gareth Cherry have completed, with 10,000
sq ft of the high-spec offices being let to a
range of around 15 SMEs.
“Level Q is now fully let – and we’ve
done it with top-of-the-range prices,” says
Preston, who runs several other businesses
as well as the Teesside Philanthropic
Foundation and CEO Sleepout charities.
“We’ve managed to do that because
we’re offering a top-of-the-range product.
And I think it’s evidence that, with the right
people at the wheel, demand for this type
of high-spec offices on Teesside can be
realised.”
Preston says the idea behind Level
Q came from a concept he’d seen in
major cities by We Work, a New York-
based company that provides shared
Andy Preston has already let almost 30,000 sq ft
of business space within months at his Level Q
office development in Stockton.
workspaces for technology start-up sub-
culture communities, and services for
entrepreneurs and freelancers as well as
large enterprises.
He explains: “I’ve seen many very
impressive developments by We Work.
They’re taking over the world, creating
some fantastic facilities in global cities
such as New York, London, Hong Kong and
Sydney.
“It’s starting to spread to some of
the very big cities – like Glasgow and
Manchester – but they have a pecking order
of where they want to be. They might go to
Newcastle, but it will take several years. But
they’re never coming to Middlesbrough or
anywhere on Teesside.
“So I wanted to create something of
equal quality for Teesside. And I think we’ve
done it. I’m confident it’s the best office
building anywhere in the North-East, and
I’m really proud to have done that.”
Preston now hopes Middlesbrough,
regarded by some as the city centre of the
Teesside region, can follow suit.
“This really shows Teesside can take on
the world,” he adds.
“There’s a big change in requirements
for offices right now. While demand for
large spaces in big buildings is on the slide,
there’s an increasing interest in smaller
offices in exciting workspaces with a real
buzz.
“I’m letting space to international
companies in Stockton, and I want to
see this happen in Middlesbrough. The
opportunity to attract them to the town
centre is real.
“With the opportunities that are
coming up, I think we have an amazing
opportunity, and I’d like to see it go to the
next level in Middlesbrough, whether that
was by me or someone else.”
Preston Cherry recently completed
the final phase of Level Q, which offered
space for 40 people in offices of varying
sizes.
The latest development, on the second
floor, is aquarium themed, providing
contemporary and stress-busting business
accommodation.
The state-of-the-art Level Q offices
boast facilities including a café, a small
cinema and gym. Businesses also benefit
from some of the fastest broadband in the
area with around 1,000 MB capacity.
Bespoke inside space with picnic
benches and artificial grass adds to the
ambience of the workplaces, providing a
unique environment to work, socialise and
keep fit.
Preston Cherry offers traditional
leases together with various levels of
commitment, including hot desks and
short-term agreements.