National logistics developer db symmetry, working in a joint venture with Halton Borough Council, has secured a 70,000 sq ft pre-let with advanced manufacturing technology firm LPW at Venture Fields on Merseyside.
Located within the Widnes Waterfront regeneration area, half a mile from the town centre, the Venture Fields’ masterplan comprises an 11-acre site which is being developed into a leisure, advanced manufacturing and distribution scheme.
This deal sees LPW relocate its headquarters in Runcorn, where it currently occupies 20,000 sq ft. In addition to the new Halton site, LPW Technology locations include a research facility at Sci-Tech Daresbury and overseas operations in the USA and sales offices in Germany, Italy with a global reseller network covering the rest of Europe and Asia.
Portal Construction has been appointed as main contractor and is now on site working with AEW architects, Tier Consulting, C4 Consulting and KGA to deliver the new facility, which is scheduled for completion in September 2017. B8 Real Estate & CBRE advised db symmetry. LPW was represented by Aherne Property Consultants.
Having already developed an 18,000 sq ft Pure Gym on site, this development will complete the Venture Fields project for db symmetry Venture Fields is the latest in a series of developments that have been brought forward in the area including The Hive, a new leisure scheme to the west of Earle Road.
Speaking about the deal, Andrew Dickman, director at db symmetry, commented: “With approximately £70million estimated to be invested in this area to develop commercial, leisure and residential opportunities and key infrastructure projects such as the new Mersey crossing coming forward, Venture Fields is becoming a well-established business destination. Securing a pre-let to a highly respected company such as LPW is a ringing endorsement of that.”
Phil Carroll, CEO at LPW Technology continued: “This is an exciting chapter for the business and the region’s advanced manufacturing sector as a whole. Our new facility is dedicated to manufacturing metal powders for Additive Manufacturing. We are planning to create more than 120 new high quality jobs by 2018 and this will be the largest single investment in metal Additive Manufacturing in the UK to date.”
Leader of Halton Borough Council, Cllr Rob Polhill, said: “It is great that we are working with db symmetry once again and we are delighted that one of our fastest growing firms, LPW Technology, is moving onto Venture Fields, a very important site for us.”
Cllr Ron Hignett, the Council’s Executive Board member for regeneration, concluded: “With an investment of £20million, the creation of 120 jobs and the chance to demonstrate that the borough is supporting a thriving manufacturing industry, this is a very welcome development.”