Harrogate-based Marrtree Investments has completed a 24,000 sq ft refurbishment of warehouse and industrial units on a two-acre site on Yarm Road in Darlington, with the first new tenant now in place at the £800,000 scheme. When fully let, the site will bring around 20 new jobs to the area.
William Marshall, director of Marrtree Investments, said: “Our newly refurbished units provide modern, affordable accommodation for local businesses and are helping to meet the escalating demand for space that’s fuelling the area’s economic growth after a prolonged period with little, if any, development activity in the area.”
The site’s first tenant, local business GDR Horseboxes, which manufactures bespoke horseboxes costing £17,000-£100,000 for equestrian customers across the UK, has relocated to a 7,000 sq ft unit at Marrtree Business Park, from smaller premises nearby. The new unit includes warehousing and offices and will enable the business, which currently produces 40 horseboxes a year, to take forward plans for expansion and job creation.
Gary Robinson, GDR Horseboxes managing director, said: We had outgrown our previous base and this new accommodation – which enables us to have our own showroom in addition to workshop space for the production of our horseboxes – will enable us to grow as a business to meet increasing customer demand.” Currently employing four skilled staff, Mr Robinson hopes to expand his team with at least two more hires over the next 12 months.
Jonathan Simpson at Connect Property North East, who advised Marrtree on the letting, said: The success of the Yarm Road site so far and the interest we’ve had in the remaining 17,000 sq ft of industrial and warehouse space is testament to the vision of Marrtree, who acquired the vacant brownfield site last year, and have totally refurbished it to attract high quality occupiers like GDR Horseboxes.
Mr Marshall said: Darlington is going from strength to strength at present. The town has just been ranked number three in the UK’s top ten fastest growing economies, and its location on the HS2 route will create a further jobs boost for the town and an under-two-hour journey time to London.
Founded in Bradford in the 1940s, and now run by the third generation, brothers William and George Marshall, the Marrtree Group of companies has operated for over 60 years. With interests in commercial and residential property, quarrying and forestry, the business is now based at Cardale Park in Harrogate.
