Car wheel specialists moving back to old Warwick home after 40 years away

A supplier of wheels for modern and classic cars, which boasts customers from as far away as Australia, is set for a move back into its old Warwick home after more than 40 years away after Wareing & Company agreed a deal.

John Brown Wheels is in the process of moving into the 22,224 sq ft Taylor Group House on Wedgnock Lane following the deal’s completion.

The firm designs replicas of alloy wheels for a range of modern vehicles as well as classic cars in need of an upgrade, from tiny wheels for 1960s Minis, to larger wheels for classic Volkswagen Type 2 campervans, and supplies to both the public and the trade.

Founded in 1972 in Coventry, John Brown Wheels was founded by the late Jonathan Brown and his brother Chris, who started off storing wheels in their bedroom and directing customers to call a telephone box between 6 and 8pm for any enquiries.

After a loan of £100 from their mother, the brothers grew the business and eventually opened 16 branches around the UK while basing itself at Wedgnock Lane in the 1970s and 1980s.

In that time, John Brown Wheels built up a strong reputation among classic car enthusiasts both in the UK and abroad, with orders being shipped as far as Japan and Australia.

However, after two decades at its current premises in Stockton, Chris and his son Rich felt the time was right to find a new premises to help the business grow.

During a visit to Warwick, Chris happened to see that Taylor Group House was up for sale through Wareing & Company, and called the agents soon after.

From left: David Brown (John Brown Wheels), Chris Brown, and Jonathan Blood inside Taylor Group House
From left: David Brown (John Brown Wheels), Chris Brown, and Jonathan Blood inside Taylor Group House

 

He said: “When I saw Taylor Group House was up for sale, I thought it was fate.

“Our premises in Stockton was becoming a little tired and we were in need of a new place to call home. But I never thought we might be able to move back to our old place in Warwick.

“I was initially told the premises had just been sold, which was a real shame. But a couple of months later, Jonathan Blood at Wareing called me back to ask if I was still interested as the original deal had fallen through. I said I was and we quickly arranged a viewing.

“Seeing the building again on our first viewing brought back a lot of memories – not only of our success there, but of my brother too. The decision to come back just felt right.”

John Brown Wheels is now in the process of fitting out Taylor Group House and transferring its inventory over, with a planned opening date in the new year. It is also hopeful of hiring new staff once the company moves in.

“Demand has generally been good in wholesale and export, and we’re hopeful the retail side of the business is picking up too,” Chris added.

“And Warwick is a busy town – the Wedgnock Industrial Estate is full of useful suppliers for us and we expect business will move more quickly once we’re moved in.

“We think our move back to Warwick will be a real step forward for John Brown Wheels, and we’re really looking forward to being back in the town and grateful to Jonathan at Wareing for his patience in securing the property.”

Jonathan Blood, Director at Wareing & Company, said: “Not only is this a great example of a successful company choosing Warwick as their new base, but an incredible story for the Brown family.

“The business landscape at Wedgnock Industrial Estate was a clear draw for Chris, but the personal connection to Taylor Group House made it particularly appealing.

“We’re delighted to have made this deal happen for Chris and John Brown Wheels, and we hope their return to Warwick brings them great success.”

Multinational medical firm opens first UK warehouse after Wareing deal

A multinational medical firm making products for diagnostic imaging has opened its first UK warehouse for repairing and testing after moving the service in-house.

Bracco UK has signed a lease on a 5,685 sq ft warehouse and 1,549 sq ft of office space at 8 Titan Business Centre in Warwick after Jonathan Blood, Director at Wareing & Company, secured a deal.

Bracco, headquartered in Italy, creates and distributes products used in contrast imaging – such as chemicals that can be detected in X-rays, MRI scans, and more, along with devices that can administer them.

While the UK arm of the company had a strong sales presence in the country from its Oxford offices, and saw its products used in both NHS and private hospitals, it used to rely on third parties to repair defective equipment and to test new products.

Bracco UK decided to bring this part of the business in-house so its customers would not have to deal with anyone new when it came to servicing and repairing.

As a result of this decision, Bracco UK needed suitable premises to base the service from.

Mark Pittaway, Service Manager for Bracco UK, said: “We knew we wanted somewhere fairly central to base the service in as our products are in hospitals all over the country. The warehouse also needed to be a blank canvas with associated office space, but that we could move into right away without any remedial work.

“We looked in Birmingham, Coventry, and similar areas, but when we came across the unit at Titan Business Centre, we thought it could be a good option.”

Mark was shown the warehouse by Jonathan, who understood Bracco’s requirements around having a turnkey premises and was able to demonstrate that the unit at Titan Business Centre was an ideal choice.

The team of six has now moved into the warehouse and is hitting the ground running.

Mark added: “It was clear that Jon understood what we were after as a business – which is something we couldn’t say for other agents we worked with in trying to find a suitable warehouse.

“Many other properties we were recommended by others were either too run-down or not quite right for our needs.

“We haven’t long moved in but we’ve already settled in nicely. The warehouse is exactly what we wanted and will enable us to kick-start our in-house repair and testing service in the UK, which will significantly improve our customers’ experience.”

Jonathan Blood, Director at Wareing & Company, said: “8 Titan Business Centre’s open space, high specification and excellent links to the motorway network via the M40 made it an attractive proposition for Bracco UK.

“We’re really pleased that Bracco UK has made itself at home so quickly, and we hope it will be an excellent base for its repair and testing operations for years to come.”

Specialist blinds firm moving to new Warwick HQ

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.”