Law firm advises sportswear manufacturer on AMP expansion

Freeths Sheffield real estate team has advised fitness clothing company SBD Apparel on the acquisition and construction of its new £12m 100,000 sq ft premises at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham.

SBD Apparel, well known for its affiliation with the World Strongest Man competition, moved its offices and warehouses closer to its main factory in Rotherham five years ago and has since SBD has expanded its workforce from four to 125 staff, increased turnover by over 600% and now supports more than 200 professional athletes.

Following a £1.5m of grant funding from Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield combined authorities, Freeths was instructed by SBD Apparel in June 2020 in connection with the purchase of a circa 3.76 acre plot of land at the Advanced Manufacturing Park from Harworth Estates Investments, together with a simultaneous Development Agreement for Harworth to carry out the proposed development.

The acquisition of SBD Apparel’s new site included the construction of a bespoke industrial unit comprising a total of 100,000 sq ft for manufacturing use, creating more than 200 jobs, and additional land for future expansion supporting SBD Apparel’s ongoing plans for growth.

Freeths legal team included real estate partner John Flathers, corporate partner Peter Crawford, managing associate Marie Mulligan and associate Robert Mander, supported by associate Victoria Price and legal assistants Molly Happs and Josephine Connery.

Flathers said: “We were really pleased to act for SBD Apparel on the development of their impressive new 100,000 sq ft building at the Advanced Manufacturing Park, Rotherham. This was a real team effort over a two-year period and with over 200 new jobs created for the region, it is fantastic to see SBD Apparel go from strength to strength and also investing in the South Yorkshire economy.”

William Islip, commercial director, SBD Apparel said: “We are delighted to make this significant investment within the South Yorkshire economy which is key to the continued delivery of our long-term growth strategy. We are grateful for all the hard work undertaken by everyone at Freeth’s to ensure this transaction was completed within the agreed timeframe.”