Member Article

Pullans leave to historic Beeston HQ after 133 years

J. Pullan and Sons, leading family-run Yorkshire property developers and investors, are moving from their historic headquarters in Beeston, Leeds to state-of-the-art offices in the City Centre.

Pullan’s are leaving Manor Works in Beeston, where the company had settled in 1885, to Joseph’s Well in Westgate, Leeds.

Joseph’s Well, which is owned by Pullan’s, has recently undergone a major refurbishment to create high-quality and competitively-priced office space in central Leeds.

This refurbishment has spectacularly transformed the 156,000 sq ft five-storey building, which was originally built for Leeds clothing magnate and MP Sir John Barran.

Pullan’s, who employ 38 and have an office staff of 10, are moving into 2,500 sq ft offices in Joseph’s Well this week.

Bruce Strachan, Property Director of Pullan’s, explained: “Clearly it was a major decision to move out of Manor Works, our home for 133 years. There are ties to the site and the area from where our tradesman workforce was largely drawn.

“However, times have changed. Manor Works was perfect for us when we were traditional builders and bespoke joiners. The company has evolved into managing and developing our own properties and financing joint ventures with others.

“Many of our development projects are in central Leeds including Apsley House, Brotherton House (the old West Yorkshire Police headquarters), 2 Park Lane and, of course, Joseph’s Well where additional buildings are in planning.

“This wasn’t a decision taken lightly. But it was an exciting decision that made sense, especially when Joseph’s Well had the ideal space for us.

It’s close to the city centre, has on-site parking and super-fast fibre broadband and provides a safe and secure environment with 24/7 access.

“Our move is also a resounding endorsement of one of our flagship projects in Leeds. Following the refurbishment, we have seen an increasing level of interest in Joseph’s Well, resulting in a wide range of new lettings, including a number of expansions within the building.

“This a glowing testament of the quality of Joseph’s Well and a resounding endorsement of our aim to nurturing companies and encouraging them to grow,” said Mr. Strachan.

Sir John Barran pioneered the Leeds ready-made clothing industry in the 1850s, introducing the band knife for cutting multiple layers of cloth. In 1887 he added Joseph’s Well to his existing factory in Park Square. As Mayor of Leeds, he secured the purchase of Roundhay Park for the city. Sir John also served as the Liberal MP for Leeds from 1876 – 1885.

Meanwhile, just two years before Sir John bought Joseph’s Well, Joseph Pullan settled J. Pullan and Sons Ltd at Manor Works. The firm built ancillary works for the UK’s rapidly-expanding railway network.

In the early years many public and private buildings were constructed including the iconic Alhambra Theatre, Barnsley, much of Beeston, and more than 100 houses adjacent to the Duchy Estate in Harrogate.

In the 1960s, sensing that the construction industry was very competitive and margins were slim and, the company moved into property development and investment, buying Howley Park Estate in Morley.

With the improving transport links, especially the proposed M62, and a skilled local workforce, the estate became popular with national companies seeking distribution depots and local employers requiring modern manufacturing premises. One of the earliest tenants was Asda, trading then as Associated Dairies.

The firm then developed estates at Dudley Hill, Bradford, and Lofthouse Gate in Wakefield, before buying Joseph’s Well in 1981 and the Pawson Brothers’ quarry in Morley in 1994 – and, more recently, 2 Park Lane, Brotherton House and Apsley House, all in Leeds.

The company is now managed by Mark Pullan, the great-great grandson of founder Joseph.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Robert Beaumont .