Riverside Inverclyde (ri), the organisation charged with delivering the economic redevelopment of Inverclyde in the west of Scotland, has concluded an agreement with international fashion and lifestyle brand, Joules on a three year lease of 1,578 sq ft of space from 1 January 2018 at Greenock’s recently refurbished Custom House.
The company fulfilled a short term lease in 2017 at the Georgian architectural masterpiece, and its decision to opt for a subsequent three year lease has been hailed by ri’s chief executive, Fiona Maguire, as “fantastic news”.
She said: “To secure another international brand like Joules to join Toshiba and PG Paper at Custom House is fantastic news for both ri and Inverclyde.
“Our aim is to provide outstanding facilities that can help attract new businesses like Joules into the area and to create new job opportunities for residents.”
Established by Tom Joule nearly three decades ago, Joules is a premium lifestyle brand which designs clothing, footwear and accessories for women, men and children, as well as an expanding range of homewares, toiletries and eyewear collections, all of which are available through its own retail stores, online, rural shows and events and wholesale channels.
The final phase of the £5m remarkable and extensive transformation of 18,000 square feet of Custom House was completed in May 2017, bringing the popular landmark fully into productive use, creating jobs and ensuring that it has a new-found status as a vibrant link between Greenock’s illustrious heritage and its ambitious future growth plans.
With increasing market demand, Riverside Inverclyde has turned its attention to filling the remaining 649 sq ft SME suite, and the newly refurbished Long Room and its supporting suites at 4,000 sq ft, which offers one of the most attractive spaces available on the current market.
Andrew Bowman, Head of Business Investment at Riverside Inverclyde said: “Custom House’s high quality suites, flexible fit-out options, competitive pricing, skilled workforce, great infrastructure and local, national and international connectivity make Inverclyde a compelling choice for international companies like Joules. The Long Room makes for a fantastic national or regional headquarters, offering space for 50 or more staff.”