The two largest deals of 2009 by MEPC at Hillington Park have just been completed, taking the total rent value of new lettings for the year to date to over £500,000, and reducing the company’s vacancy rate to below 5% by area.Accommodation extending to 1,030 sq metres (11, 335 sq ft) on Earl Haig Road, consisting of refurbished offices and warehouse space, has been agreed with McNicholas Construction on a five-year lease at £45,000 per annum. The company is presently based at the Oakbank industrial estate in Glasgow, and plans to move to Hillington before Christmas. Operations Manager Michael Connon said: "Hillington ticked all the right boxes for us, and MEPC made it easy for us to reach our decision to relocate."
In Kelvin Avenue, an existing tenant at Hillington Park is expanding into a unit of 1,260 sq metres (12,723 sq ft). Over the Road Ltd is the new name for manufacturing joiners Knot & Grain, who have agreed an annual rent of £45,000 over the next five years. They are also retaining their existing property at Napier Road, which will be developed as a showroom and conference facility for architects and other clients.
MEPC’s Asset Manager, Andrew Kerr, said: "These were our two largest available vacant spaces, and we are delighted that the new lettings reflect the attractions of the estate both to re-locating companies and those already at Hillington that need to expand."
Another incoming company has arrived in the past month in Montrose Avenue, where Matrix International Sourcing Ltd has taken on a refurbished warehouse-and-offices unit of 400 sq metres (4,390 sq ft) at a rent of £20,000 a year. The company are clothing distributors, and are re-locating from Linwood.
Grant Edmondson, MEPC’s managing director at Hillington Park, said: "Since the start of the year, we have completed a total of 28 new lettings, representing 120,000 sq ft of space and adding £532,000 to our rent book.
"So, at a time of recession, Hillington Park has continued to perform very well. The overall quality of the estate is widely recognised as a location where companies are able to grow. And we are continuing to secure lettings from competitors because of our proactive on-site management team."
MEPC Hillington Park were represented by GVA Grimley and James Barr.
A recent ecological survey has confirmed that the biodiversity enhancement measures undertaken by MEPC, majority owners at Hillington Park, are already seeing positive results within the Estate. The biodiversity value has moved from "negligible" after the initial survey in 2007 to "moderate and developing" in 2009.
In addition to the £40,000 invested in new sustainable and native planting across nine key areas, major changes to the landscaping maintenance regime have been put in place. Previously all grassed areas were mown regularly but now meadow areas have been allowed to grow enabling already present flowering plants and grasses to flourish and be appreciated by wildlife and workers alike.
In the year to date 37 different species of birds have been recorded by eagle-eyed employees on the Park. There has also been a revised maintenance programme applied to many of the shrub beds and unusual plant species such as Broad Leaved Helleborine, Orchids and Cuckoo Flower have appeared which in turn bring in previously unseen wildlife such as the Orange Tipped Butterfly.
Six Hillington-based companies have been shortlisted for one or more of the annual ROCCO Awards, presented by Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce. Among them is MEPC Hillington Park, which has been cited for the ‘Best Environmental Performance’ award.
The nine ‘Oscars’ of the local business world will be handed out at a glittering award ceremony on Friday November 20, and MEPC is also sponsoring the award for the most promising new business.
Nominated companies include Innovation Centre-based NS Design, who have recently won new business that will take their growth for the year to more than 15%. They are hoping to be acclaimed again as the ‘Outstanding Performing Business’ for companies with fewer than 25 employees, which they won in 2008, and are also cited for the ‘Excellence in Customer Services’ award.
Other Hillington companies nominated in the various categories include Haven Products, Tradeforms, Alpha Analytical and Future Environmental Services.
Chamber President Tom Johnston said: "We have been overwhelmed by the interest in the ROCCO Awards this year. We know we are facing challenging economic conditions, but it is fantastic to see local companies, large and small, buck the trend and continue to expand.
"The ROCCOs have grown in popularity over the years, and the Awards Dinner is now the business event of the year."
'Leading Edge 'status for Innovation CentreThe Hillington Park Innovation Centre has been awarded Leading Edge Status by UK Business Incubation after undergoing the Inspire monitoring, development and accreditation process.
The MEPC –owned Centre is managed by Innovation Centres Scotland, who also operate the Alba Innovation Centre in Livingston.
Director of ICS, Ross Clark, had this to say about Inspire: "We started the process because we believe it is extremely important to keep reinforcing the message of how high quality innovation and incubation support services make a significant difference to young technology companies’ growth and chances of success. For us we want to continue national recognition of Hillington Park Innovation Centre and Alba Innovation Centre as Scotland’s leading facilities, accredited through a thorough appraisal process, and also to be up there amongst the top providers in the UK. All the evidence is there, not just In the UK but globally, to confirm that at the highest level, such services are an excellent economic development investment. We need to ask policy and strategy makers not to forget this in their planning and decision making"
Grant Edmondson, Managing Director of MEPC Hillington Park said "This accreditation is testament to the skills and dedication of the management and staff of Innovation Centres Scotland and we are delighted that the Hillington Park Innovation Centre is recognised by the UKBI as an example of ‘best in class’."
