A 155-year-old Loughborough-based manufacturer has moved into a newly refurbished 202,000 sq ft warehouse thanks to a sale through local surveyors Mather Jamie.
Charles Bentley & Son has spent three months transforming the former Morris Cranes warehouse on North Road, the largest of its type in Loughborough, with a new roof and floor which will allow it to accommodate its rapidly expanding e-commerce brand, BuyDirect4U.
Established in 2005 as an online retailer sourcing home, garden and leisure products from around the world and selling directly online to European customers under the Bentley brand name, BuyDirect4U achieved an online sales increase of 68% in 2014 and has already surpassed this in 2015.
Alex Reid of Mather Jamie comments: “This is an excellent location for Charles Bentley & Son, as the former home of Morris Cranes is a well located, very large building that allows the company to significantly increase its storage capacity and expand its thriving business.
“A considerable amount of work has gone into this successful move, which will benefit Charles Bentley & Son and adds to the number of quality businesses establishing themselves or expanding into larger premises in the Loughborough area.”
The recent work done to the building, which was formerly owned by property investors Revelan, allows high internal clearance to its eaves, meaning Charles Bentley & Son can significantly increase its pallet storage capacity.
Andrew Steel, General Manager of Charles Bentley & Son, comments: “The move to our new warehouse has been one of our most ambitious projects to date, but it will allow us to create a more efficient pick, pack and ship operation. We have spent the last three months transforming the site, which was originally built for Morris Cranes, from a shell into a dedicated storage and dispatch facility.
“The company’s focus will remain on quality, value for money and service. The additional space will not only allow us to expand the range of products we are able to offer, but will also give us enough space to create an onsite outlet store. We will also be building a dedicated photography studio with lifestyle sets, which will allow us to improve the quality of the images on our website.”
BuyDirect4U now has a team of 30 staff in its online sales department, working in conjunction with the Bentley head office, and sells more than 1,000 different products through its website.
Charles Bentley & Son Ltd formed in 1860 and is still owned by the original Bentley family, and is celebrating 155 years in business in 2015. The company originally started out providing brushes for Victorian chimney sweeps and is now a multi-million pound operation employing 175 people, with specialisms in the equestrian, cleaning and household sector.
