Thatcham: Vail Williams hi-tech lease to create in excess of 20 jobs

In excess of 20 jobs are set to be created in Thatcham, near Newbury, when a leading US telescope manufacturer arrives in the UK in a deal brokered by commercial property experts at Vail Williams.

US-owned Celestron LLC, a market-leading producer of telescopes, binoculars and microscopes, has taken a 10-year lease over 38,000 sq ft of hi-spec warehouse space at the well-placed Transigo complex just off the A4, with convenient access to the nearby M4 and Southampton port.

The deal with Celestron was settled in a collaboration between Vail Williams and its property client, Caisson Investment Management, which oversees the Transigo site.

The state-of-the-art premises will be the administrative, storage and distribution base for Celestron’s expanding global business development operations outside of North America – with the prospect of further local employment growth to come.

A second agreement at the site has also been reached through joint agents Sharps Commercial with Busby Metals, a US-based specialist manufacturer of copper-based alloys. It is taking up 18,000 sq ft as part of an expansion move from Theale, West Berkshire.

The overall 80,000 sq ft of space now taken up at Transigo by Celestron and Busby Metals had remained vacant since the building was completed just before the 2008 credit crunch.

But after the premises came under new ownership last year, Vail Williams advised on its division. Once split, the property immediately found occupiers.

Vail Williams associate Charlie Nicholson commented: “As well as bringing new jobs and investment into the area, these two deals show how demand for commercial property is rising – which is a very positive signal for the local economy.

“We were very pleased that our advice helped to attract two major businesses to the area. It illustrates how getting the right commercial property expertise can play an important role in unlocking growth and development.”

Mark Bowden, director at Caisson Investment Management, added: “We’re delighted to bring two major brands from the US into the region. Businesses can clearly see the connections and high-quality facilities that make Thatcham such a welcoming location.”

Dave Murray, Celestron’s senior vice president, international business development, said: “Establishing an international business headquarters and European distribution centre outside of the USA for the first time is a very exciting and dynamic move for Celestron, and with a building of such high specification, good transport and communication links, we’re confident this will help us to implement our strategic growth plans across our global network of distribution partners.”

Caisson Investment Management is represented by Vail Williams, Sharps Commercial and Deal Varney.