A major relocation to a new purpose-built distribution hub at Thorp Arch Estate, near Wetherby, has been made by national drinks distributor, Matthew Clark Wholesale Ltd.
Matthew Clark Wholesale Ltd, which distributes alcoholic and soft drinks to thousands of pubs, hotels, clubs and restaurants throughout the North, has relocated to the 62,925 sq ft facility, Unit 512, completing one of Yorkshire’s biggest commercial property deals of the last 18 months.
The relocation, in which Matthew Clarke Wholesale Ltd has moved its Yorkshire operation from Derwent Valley Industrial Estate, Dunnington, near York, where it has been based for more than 15 years, brings 90 jobs to Thorp Arch Estate which is owned by Rockspring Hanover Property Unit Trust.
Unit 512 is the third biggest unit on the 385-acre Thorp Arch Estate, a former wartime munitions factory, and the largest warehouse that London-based Rockspring Hanover Property Unit Trust has built for a new tenant.
The completion of the Matthew Clark Wholesale Ltd relocation follows biotechnology company Avacta Group Plc, which relocated to Thorp Arch Estate six years ago, moving into an 12,800 sq ft of new office and laboratory space and a series of other new lettings.
Director of Wharfedale Property Management, which manages the estate for owner, Rockspring Hanover Property Unit Trust, Tim Munns, said:
The completion of the Matthew Clark Wholesale Ltd relocation is further evidence that Thorp Arch Estate is becoming the top destination for businesses across north Leeds, Harrogate and York which want to expand and be near the motorway network but do not want to move to the M62 corridor.
We have also had very strong interest in our speculative development in Ash Way which was three-quarters let before practical completion and we hope to announce the start of work on the next phase of Ash Way soon.
The new Matthew Clark Wholesale distribution hub features nine dock levellers, two level-entry goods access doors, a large goods yard and 6,350 sq ft of office space. Property and construction consultants, LHL Group, York, managed the construction for Rockspring.
Matthew Clark Wholesale Ltd, which has its national headquarters in Bristol, has more than 200 years’ experience of supplying drinks, hospitality training, labour management and marketing support to more than 16,000 premises in the UK.
Matthew Clark’s regional managing director, Ian Gordon, said:
We are delighted with our brand new depot, providing us with more space to operate and allowing us to be closer to the motorway network, all of which serve our customers better within the region. These factors were crucial when it came to choosing the new location as we continuously look to strengthening the service to our customers.
The two-million sq ft Thorp Arch Estate is base for a diverse range of more than 140 businesses, from start-ups to large Plcs, operating in local, national and international markets and employing more than 1,800 people. Thorp Arch Retail Park, which forms part of the estate, was the first out-of-town shopping centre in the country when it opened in 1959 and is complemented by a variety of leisure facilities.
