A UK pioneer in the modular construction of homes is setting up its first customised factory near Southampton as the innovator looks to disrupt the traditional house-building market.
In a property deal through commercial property consultancy Vail Williams, Go_Modular signed a 10-year lease on a 20,874 sqf ft industrial warehouse.
Vail Williams’ transactional team in the Solent acted for the private landlord of the refurbished unit, which has three loading doors and a large secure yard.
Materials will be supplied to the factory, at Calmore Industrial Estate, The Phoenix Centre, Unit C, Eddystone Road, Totton, with manufactured modules then transported to sites and installed.
Will Elgeti, a surveyor for Vail Williams, working out of the office at Ocean Village in Southampton, said: “Go_Modular had a pressing requirement for a strategically located factory where modular homes can be assembled before they are transported to sites – the Phoenix Centre met the company’s requirements.
“We acted for the landlord, a private property investor, with Go_Modular representing itself in the deal.”
He added: “We are seeing a lot of demand for industrial spaces of this size because supply is so short.
“As a specialist, Vail Williams advises on industrial estates across the region. Through detailed market knowledge, our team is well placed to identify ideal premises for clients, saving them time and money.”
Erik Kudlis, Chairman and Co-founder of Go_Modular, said: “We are a group of modular construction specialists and entrepreneurs with unique knowledge and experience of the offsite construction sector and bring together the team, which has been delivering modular housing in the UK for 10 years, under one roof.
“Our inaugural, customised factory will deliver a compelling range of financial, quality, sustainable and technical benefits for customers as we disrupt the traditional house-building market.
“At Go_Modular we have created a branded, tested approach to taking planning approved schemes to accelerated delivery through use of modular construction, having been involved in the delivery of development from site acquisition to investment disposal in the UK and internationally.
“As a start-up business, this is an exciting time for the team and the location, close to the M271, M27 and M3, is excellent for recruitment and transport purposes and means we can lay the foundations for growth. Vail Williams acted to the letter, with a smooth process for all concerned.”
Go_Modular aims to deliver 300-plus units from the factory, with plans to expand via a factory franchising model.
The factory has recently opened doors, with an initial 25 staff working from the premises and is already manufacturing a nine-flat, 13-bedroom boutique student hotel for Park Street in Bristol Central.
Vail Williams is joint agent with CBRE.
Along with Erik the company’s senior team comprises David van der Lande (strategic development director), Doug Inwod (chief engineer director), Michael Lavender (head of design and architecture), Andrew Lujans (engineer – production specialist), Imran A Shaikh (senior M&E engineer), Arthur Murans (innovation and production engineer), John Jankovski (production engineer) and Mohammed Afzal (commercial director).
