Great place to get a head start

Mar 12 2008 By The Journal

LOOKING to move in 2008? Businesses looking to expand or relocate can find help at the North East’s biggest commercial property show. The Tyne and Wear Commercial Property Show takes place at Newcastle’s St James’s Park on Thursday April 3. For businesses looking to invest in property, the show is a great place to start the search, casting the spotlight on Tyne and Wear’s best business parks, industrial estates, incubator units and office and retail space.

Now in its sixth year, the event is an important driver of commercial property investment within the region. It’s grown into one of the biggest commercial property exhibitions in the North, attracting business investors and leading agents.

For local investors, it’s a unique opportunity to find out about the latest commercial property opportunities and receive support with their investment plans. For companies based outside the region thinking of relocating, it’s also the perfect place to view Tyne and Wear’s ever growing portfolio of business and retail properties. Tyne and Wear Development Company – the leading business development agency in the region – is organising this year’s show. It is supported by Tyne and Wear’s five local authorities and the event’s key sponsors UK Land Estates and the Estates Gazette Group.

Paul Buie, manager of Tyne and Wear Development Company, said: “Commercial property opportunities within the region are extensive and hugely attractive. The property show is the best place for businesses to get a head start, explore their options and tap into expert advice.”

And the main reason businesses should attend is the excellent choice of commercial property available here. One of the region’s big strengths is its diverse choice of premises. It has something to offer businesses of all sizes, with major international developments such as Cobalt and Citygate standing alongside flexible business units that are tailored to the needs of young companies.

Gateshead’s International Business Centre; the Fabriam building in North Tyneside and E-volve at Rainton Bridge in Sunderland are just some of the facilities that fall into this category.

Paul said: “For anyone with a property need, whether expansion or relocation, it’s well worth a visit. Besides speaking to property agents, there’s also access to investment and business support. There’s a wealth of expertise available to help businesses with their growth plans and it’s important they take advantage of this.

“We’re keen to hear from local businesses. This is a great chance for them to find out about the best developments and support on their doorstep. Countless investors have been able to secure deals through contacts made at previous events and we look forward to this year’s show being better than ever.”

One company to have benefited is Turbo Power Systems in Gateshead, which specialises in the design and manufacture of power electronics products.

It has been able to race ahead with expansion plans after attending the Property Show – identifying new premises in Gateshead with the support of Gateshead Council and Tyne and Wear Development Company. Through contacts made on the day, a property that matched TPS’s needs was quickly identified at Gateshead’s Queens Park. The company has now settled into the facility – 40,000sqft of industrial space – and is looking to grow its workforce from 80 to 140 over the next year.

Neil Ingram from TPS said: “We realised that larger premises were needed to accommodate our rapid expansion plans.

“We attended the property show to look for possible sites and were able to speak to all agents and developers in one day.

“Through the show we were able to identify several properties in the area. The premises at Queens Park on Team Valley, Gateshead, were clearly the best option. We worked closely with Tyne and Wear Development Company and Gateshead Council throughout the move.”

Like many companies attending the show, TPS received investment support from Tyne and Wear Development Company. It has been the main supporter of investment in Tyne and Wear for more than 20 years, offering expertise, contacts and resources to help with any mobile investment project.

Representatives from the company will be at this year’s event to answer questions from prospective investors. So too will be a host of top property agents. Among those to have signed up are Knight Frank; Sanderson Weatherall and storeys:ssp. They will be on hand to show potential investors Tyne and Wear’s growing portfolio of commercial premises.

Event sponsors UK Land Estates will be in attendance and will be joined by business investment teams from the five local councils, which will provide further details of investment support and local property opportunities. Other exhibitors will include solicitors, financial advisers, architects and office interior companies to provide a full range of support for potential investors.

HOW TO ATTEND

Visit www.commercialpropertyshow.co.uk to register. All visitors who pre-register online will be entered into a free prize draw. Contact: (0191) 516-9099 for further details.