Japanese manufacturer picks Deeside

JAPANESE snack manufacturer Calbee is to take on 100 staff after choosing to locate its first European facility at Deeside Industrial Park East.

The Tokyo-based group has taken a 65,000 sq ft unit on a 15-year lease at the site.

It was previously occupied by Irish food company Greencore which surrendered its lease in October.

Calbee plans to use the base for manufacturing, distribution and research and development and will hire the staff over the next five years.

The 105-acre industrial estate near Chester has 49 units with a total of 827,500 sq ft. In April Scottish Widows and London-based Centurion Properties bought it for £34m from the higher education pension fund, the University Superannuation Scheme. At that point it was 85% occupied with an annual rent of £2.7m.

A spokesperson for Calbee (UK) said: “We are delighted to establish our first European factory at Deeside, which proved to be the most attractive of the many locations we looked at. Of paramount importance was Centurion’s ability to work within a demanding timescale and deliver our unit ready to begin production early next year.”

Michael Jones, who is responsible for Centurion’s asset management activities in the North, said: “The letting of this unit was always going to be a big challenge. The fact that we have taken a substantial lease surrender premium and agreed a new long-term letting to a leading international company within six months of ownership is testament to the ability of Centurion and its professional team to react quickly, and it has also added considerable value to the investment. It also underlines the strategic location of the industrial park, and we expect to complete soon a number of other lettings at improved rental levels”.
 
Letting agents at the estate are Savills and Legat Owen.

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