A business centre and self-storage company are set to launch a new 32,000sq ft facility in Stowmarket as it broadens out from its Midlands base.
Squab Storage says the £3.5m building at Atex Business Park, off Gun Cotton Way, could be home to more than 100 small and growing businesses.
The company – which is based in Warwickshire – currently has centres in Leamington, Evesham and Rubery in the West Midlands and houses more than 200 businesses across the three sites.
Work has already started on its state-of-the-art building in Stowmarket, which is due to open in spring.
Squab director Alex Henney – who is originally from near Framlingham – said the area had been highlighted as a growth hotspot after the company launched a UK-wide search for sites.
“This is a major investment for Squab and is our first move out of the Midlands,” he said. “We have been looking to expand and develop our offering, and this part of East England appeals for a number of reasons.
“The site is strategically well placed just off the A14, and there is a very lively business community in the area. Add that to factors such as the new Investment Zone announcements from the government and the creation of the New Anglia Growth Hub, and we believe it is perfect for what we do.
“We cater for a massive range of firms who trade from our centres – they may use them as an office, a fulfilment base or a hub to re-supply road-based staff and thereby increase efficiency. The sector spread ranges from health and beauty to engineering, and from leisure to professional services.
“We even have one client – Swim in a Tin – which has created a training and coaching swimming pool in a storage unit.
“Start-ups and expanding businesses are a target market because we offer the accommodation on flexible licences rather than traditional leases which allows them to flex according to their needs. We are not a major employer ourselves, but very much a generator of employment.”
Squab’s commercial tenants can join its business club offering a range of benefits for members.
“The business has grown from pure storage to meet a wide range of business needs,” said Mr Henney. “We are planning to open more sites but it is great for me personally to be returning to Suffolk, and to be investing in a project which we know will be good for the area.”
