Manufacturer opens 15,500 sq ft production facility
Swedish-owned manufacturer of labels, packaging and trims to the fashion industry, Nilorn, has announced its new base in North Yorkshire is now officially open.
The announcement follows a grand opening ceremony at the premises in Cononley, attended by senior representatives from Sweden and 120 delegates from around the world. It represents an inward investment of £2.3m into the UK operation by the international company to underpin long-term growth.
Formerly based in the Keighley area, Nilorn UK conducted an extensive search over several years before selecting the Cononley site for development. Its complex needs for multipurpose commercial space require manufacturing, warehouse distribution, design and administrative services to be housed in one building, promoting teamwork and communication.
Its production facility is comprised of flexible components, allowing for greater scalability of production and to ultimately enable expansion. The 15,500 sq ft property at Greens Mill Court is about 30% larger than the previous location, and crucially has enabled the company to retain all members of its long-standing and talented team.
Nilorn UK, which includes Gym Shark, John Lewis and Joules among its client roster, has also made a significant investment in the interior aesthetic, appointing Ultimate to deliver the interior fit out and furniture.
UK top 200 law firm, Shulmans, has acted for Nilorn UK for nearly 30 years. Its specialist commercial property and construction teams collaborated in support of the land purchase and development. The work encompassed a series of legal and commercial challenges and the team, led by Simon Jackson, helped to overcome these, including issues in relation to the timing of moving from existing premises to the new building and in the structure of legal arrangements.
David Hinchliffe, Managing Director at Nilorn UK, said: “The premises mark the start of an exciting new chapter, as part of our planned five-year growth strategy.
“Our heritage in the British textile industry spans more than 80 years, and the new production facilities enable us to continue to expand and meet the demands of both UK and international markets.
“We would like to thank Shulmans for the team’s unwavering support over three years and their input and expertise throughout the various stages of our relocation and build, helping us to navigate our complicated requirements with ease. Our thanks also go to Ultimate for helping us to realise an inspiring working environment that will power forward our creative team.”
Simon Jackson, Partner and Head of Commercial Property at Shulmans, said: “This is a true UK manufacturing success story and great news for the local economy.
“International investment in UK operations demonstrates confidence in the British textile industry and faith in David’s excellent and visionary leadership. It was our pleasure to have supported Nilorn UK in this latest phase of its development and we are delighted to be the longstanding legal advisors across all the various legal disciplines.”
Mark Hickey, Owner and Director at Ultimate, said: “We are extremely proud to have had the opportunity to work on such prestigious development within our local community.
“We worked closely with Bowman Riley Architects and Shelby Group on the project to ensure David’s vision of a flexible open-plan office space that promoted staff wellbeing and increased efficiency, was achieved.”
