Member Article

Property entrepreneur sees Teesside business park investment reach full capacity

A North East business park has attracted a full complement of tenants after being bought by property investor and regeneration entrepreneur Geoff Hogg for a six-figure sum.

Brighouse Business Village, in Middlesbrough, only had 21 tenants, but in the six months since Mr Hogg purchased the site, all 35 units have become occupied.

Mr Hogg, who has more than 20 years’ experience in the property sector, has built a strong mixed portfolio of retail, office and residential schemes, having invested more than £15m across the North East.

Refurbishment work has been carried on the units at Brighouse Business Village, which range from 729 to 4,750sq ft, with the aim of giving the site a more “business community” feel.

The company, which moved into the last two units available on Brighouse Business Village, was StS Resources & Technology, a supplier of technical personnel, including riggers, rope access technicians, inspection personnel, and of equipment to the oil and gas industry.

StS Resources & Technology, which has been based at the site since 2007 and now occupies three units, decided to take on additional space following the recent investment at the site by Mr Hogg.

Mr Hogg, who owns Linthorpe Developments, said: “My ambition when I bought the site was to ensure it was modernised in to an attractive business location, where it was cost effective for firms to start-up, relocate or grow.

“When we were handed the keys there were 14 empty units, and now six months later all of them are occupied, which I believe is a reflection, not only of the quality of the properties, the business park’s environment and the rental terms, but also an upturn in the Tees Valley economy.”

Paul Hancock, Managing Director of StS, which since 2007 has employed 740 people on various different contracts internationally, said: “The amount of improvement works that have been carried out at Brighouse Business Village meant that when we wanted to expand into additional space, we had to look no further than where we already were.

“It is a prime business location not only in the terms of the quality of the site, but the fact that our business premises can be seen from the main road.”

Brighouse Business Village is home to a broad range of firms including offshore engineers, technology companies, a model railway firm and a bed retailer.

The 50,000 sq ft Village, which is covered by 24 hour manned CCTV, is located on Riverside Park Industrial Estate, fronting on to Riverside Road, and is approximately one mile north of Middlesbrough town centre. It has good connections, via the A66, to both the A19 and the A1M.

Established in 2007, StS Resources & Technology provides highly skilled personnel from the UK primarily for StS gruppen contracts but also for tenders and work that they have been awarded. StS Resources & Technology also has a number of other clients that it provides with sector specific skilled technicians.

Its parent company, StS gruppen was established 40 years ago, and is one of the most experienced company of its kind in Norway. Founded in 1972, it is today a leading supplier of insulation, scaffolding and surface treatment services.

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