Andy Ismail and his partners at ThinkVans.com couldn’t find new premises for their expanding business in Barry – so they built their own.
The trio acquired a two acre plot of land on Wimbourne Road at Barry Docks and designed and have built Atlantic Point which comprises a number of workshop units with office space. Their company occupies one of the units from the first phase – and the remaining three, ranging from 128 sq m (1,378 sq ft) to 512 sq m (5,512 sq ft) in size, were quickly sold to companies including Crane & Lifting Services Ltd and 4Wood TV and Film Ltd.
Now a second phase of construction is under way and five of the six units, each offering 1,163 sq ft of space, are already under offer from companies looking either to rent or buy premises in the town.
Andy Ismail said: “We simply couldn’t find the premises we needed in Barry and designed the new units to suit the needs of small and growing companies like ours. It was a steep learning curve but they are proving very popular.”
Andy’s team was advised in the development and marketing of the buildings by the Cardiff office of property adviser Knight Frank. He said: “Knight Frank helped a great deal, with excellent advice on the size and layout of the buildings, and they quickly generated interest locally.”
Grace Shackell, a member of the Industrial agency team at Knight Frank, said: “Andy has hit upon a winning formula at Atlantic Point with very smart looking affordable units at the right size for local companies.”
Andy Ismail added: “We now plan to finish the site with a third phase of a further four units and then hope to purchase further land in Barry to create more industrial accommodation.”