Delph Industrial Estate in Brierley Hill sold

Published by

Nicky Godding

A Worcestershire law firm has advised on the multi-million pound sale of a well-known Black Country industrial estate.

Commercial property specialists at mfg Solicitors have handled a deal worth around £6 million which has seen the Delph Industrial Estate in Brierley Hill purchased by property group, Telereal Trillium.

The seven-acre estate, which has 40 units let to a range of local businesses, has been sold by Black Country businessman, Tony Whittaker, who opened the once derelict site in 1982 to help create new jobs.

Partner Ben Rothery and colleague Rachel Dear acted on behalf of Mr Whittaker on the deal which was completed in just four weeks.

Ben Rothery said: “The Delph Industrial Estate has provided jobs for hundreds of people over the past 40 years and been given a terrific base and launchpad for many businesses. Tony and his family have built the estate up from scratch and rightly gained a reputation as a businessman who has the community at heart.

“We were delighted to play such a central role in the deal and to complete it in just one month. It now allows Tony to move onto other projects, whilst also ensuring ownership is transferred to a well-established company like Telereal Triiium who understand the estate’s history and importance.”

Tony Whittaker added: “We have built the estate up from what was a series of derelict buildings and yards after the sad demise of the Round Oak works in the 1970s. It gives us immense pleasure to have completed the project and leave things in good hands.

“We have managed the site through some extremely tough times over the past four decades but it has been great to see so many businesses continue to grow and thrive from it – including our own family business, Midland Fabric and Bar."

Mr Whittaker, 78, a former national weightlifting champion who was born on the same road as the industrial estate, has carved out a career as a successful local businessman since the 1960s. Just one year after opening the industrial estate, in 1983 he built and opened the Nine Locks and Chainmakers pub on Amblecote Road, then the largest pub in the region.

He has confirmed that the “landmark” 64-tonne Chieftan tank, which sits at the entrance to the estate, will be retained by the new owners.

Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe. After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts. She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.