Tag: jonathan blood

Specialist blinds firm moving to new Warwick HQ

Posted on by sam

A specialist blinds company whose products feature on striking buildings around the world is set to start a new chapter after a move to a new HQ in Warwick was agreed thanks to Wareing & Company.

Guthrie Douglas creates unique blinds for a wide range of extraordinary buildings, including Covent Garden in London, the Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi, and the Broad Museum in Los Angeles.

After embarking on a large recruitment drive and acquiring another blinds company, Shy, in 2022, Guthrie Douglas wanted to move to a larger office and manufacturing complex while not moving far away from its former base at Heathcote Way in Warwick.

Now, the company is set to move to Unit 3 at Titan Business Centre after Jonathan Blood, director at Wareing & Company, agreed a deal.

David Slade, partner at Leamington Spa law firm Wright Hassall, advised Guthrie Douglas on the legal aspects of the move.

The site features 31,422 sq ft of floor space, including a large warehouse, a two-storey office, and electrically-operated roller shutter doors.

Andrew Kitching, Managing Director of Guthrie Douglas, said: “Our acquisition of Shy and our recruitment push brought the company up from 15 employees to around 50, and we wanted to consolidate the team at a new HQ where we could double our capacity.

“We wanted to stay in Warwick if possible as it’s always been our home, and we knew Wareing & Company has a great knowledge of the market here, so we approached them to help our search.

“When we saw the unit at Titan Business Centre, it just ticked a lot of boxes for us. It has ample space for manufacturing our products, dedicated office space, and a pleasant mezzanine area where we can bring clients.

“We were only too happy to agree terms, and aim to start our phased move-in in April before fully moving in during the summer.

“This will be a new chapter for Guthrie Douglas, and we’re confident our new home at Titan Business Centre will allow us to reach new heights.”

Jonathan Blood, director at Wareing & Company, said: “Titan Business Centre is a popular estate for growing businesses like Guthrie Douglas, and benefits from its superb location in Warwick, being just a stone’s throw from the M40 and A46.

“It’s brilliant to see such an ambitious company choose to stay in Warwick, and highlights the strength of the market in this region.”

David Slade, a partner in Wright Hassall’s commercial real estate team, added: “Guthrie Douglas is a real success story in our region and it’s great to help with the next stage of its growth plans.”

Machine tool manufacturer to move to Stratford from Birmingham and create 20 new jobs

Posted on by sam

A multinational engineering firm is moving its UK base from Birmingham to Stratford-upon-Avon and creating up to 20 new jobs in the process after Wareing & Company finalised a deal.

GROB Machine Tools UK, which currently employs 20 people, is set to move into the former Building Profiles unit on Timothy’s Bridge Road in Stratford and expand its team once a refurbishment of the site is complete.

The company, originally founded in Germany, manufactures machines used to create components used in a wide variety of sectors, such as automotive, aerospace, medical, and energy.

And after winning a 200 million-Euro contract with a major original equipment manufacturer (OEM), the time was right for the UK branch of the company to move away from its Birmingham base and into bigger premises.

The 14,000 sq ft unit was let to GROB Machine Tools UK after Jonathan Blood, director at  Wareing & Company, completed the deal.

Louis Hill, Managing Director of GROB Machine Tools UK, said: “We had outgrown our base in Birmingham, and we needed a site that not only had a good factory floor, but high-quality office space too.

“We saw there were lots of small units that had this, and lots of incredibly large warehouses, but we needed something that fell somewhere in the middle.

“The unit in Stratford that Wareing & Co promoted ticked all the boxes. It has manufacturing space, office space, and enough space for a showroom where we can bring current and prospective customers to highlight the work we do.

“And staying in the Midlands was key for us – we work across the country and into Ireland too, so having a central base that is easily accessible is very important.

“It’ll also be a nice bonus to be in a town like Stratford with all of its history and charm. GROB Machine Tools UK was originally based in Wellesbourne before it moved to Birmingham, so it’s great to be returning to Warwickshire.

“We’re hoping to be all moved in within a few weeks and we are really excited to start this new chapter in our company’s history.”

Jonathan Blood, director at Wareing & Company added: “GROB Machine Tools had very clear requirements about what it wanted, so it was brilliant to be able to find Louis and the team a site that was perfect for them.

“This deal will bring high-quality jobs into Stratford and ensure a unit that had been occupied in Stratford for a very long time by Building Profiles does not sit empty. We are looking forward to seeing GROB Machine Tools make their mark in Stratford.”