A £1.2 million expansion of Grimsby’s Enterprise Village is complete - with five of the seven new units taken.
One of the biggest speculative commercial developments seen in recent years, this latest phase has seen owner E-Factor enlarge the footprint of the town’s central business park.
It now features a total of 33 units, with the latest equipped with solar panels and featuring optimum flood-risk mitigation design.
The carbon neutral addition replaces the former Atkinson’s Smokehouse, devastated by fire several years ago.
And one seafood business has seized the opportunity, expanding from pure office space on the site.
Ish Fish was first to commit to the extension. Director Garry Bainbridge said: “This move is the next stage for Ish Fish. We were able to design the space which has meant we can bring everything under one roof. Before, we were spending much of our time back and forth on the motorway, between office and warehouse.
“I can’t speak highly enough of E-Factor and what they have brought to this town.”
Enterprise Village was launched a decade ago, initially remodelling a former engineering workshop, before adding new build units, with the support organisation using initial funding to invest in property, with leases then paying for business support provided across the area.
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Joining Ish Fish are F4 IT, Embley Builders, Adrenaline Muay Thai and management consultancy Rothenburg Associates.
Darren McKay, director at F4 IT, said: “We are moving into the heart of Grimsby’s business community which gives us immediate exposure to E-Factor and the support they offer. Like us, their strength comes from their ‘invest in local’ approach.
“In terms of the unit, we couldn’t have found a better design anywhere else. It fits our needs perfectly for now but will also accommodate our planned future expansion.”
Electric vehicle charging points are standard features, with 40 additional parking spaces welcomed on site.
E-Factor’s managing director Mark Webb said: “The decision to invest in the site was speculative but we were confident that there was demand for high-quality, well-located business premises.
“To have secured tenancies for five of the seven units before completion makes me very proud of the E-Factor team and optimistic about the future growth of local business.
“It has been a difficult year and there have been set-backs. But to see people start to move in is proof of the pudding.”
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The expansion has been called Parkinson Place, in recognition of E-Factor’s estates manager Tony Parkinson, who managed the project remotely while isolating during the coronavirus pandemic.
He oversaw the whole venture, from site acquisition in April 2019, through planning and the appointment of Grimsby’s Topcon to build-out, and finally the individual design to meet the needs of tenants.
Chair of E-Factor, Pauline Harness, said: “The board took a risk when it decided to invest heavily in the growth of the local area, but it was a unanimous decision. We are delighted it has paid off and that the new units have already proved popular within the local business community.
“The expansion of the Enterprise Village is a positive step forward for E-Factor in its commitment to provide objective support for local businesses.”
E-Factor charges market rent on flexible ‘easy in, easy out’ lease terms.