The disused former Triumph manufacturing and warehouse site on Swindon’s Groundwell Industrial Estate is to be redeveloped following its acquisition by Howard Tenens, the logistics and property group.
Refurbishment work on the 7.2-acre site is due to start shortly as Howard Tenens – one of the UK’s largest privately owned logistics firms – seeks additional space in Swindon. 
The Stroud-headquartered group has long links with the town and operates the 25-acre Europa Industrial Park in Stratton, where occupiers include Honda’s European logistics business and handbag and footwear retailer Jane Shilton.
The self-contained site has a 117,920 sq ft warehouse with 44,793 sq ft of mezzanine space and a two-storey administration office building.
Lingerie firm Triumph moved to the purpose-built site in 1980. At the time it employed hundreds of mainly women machine sewing products in its factory and distributed them from its warehouse. The site was also home to its UK headquarters with design, sales, marketing and personnel departments.
The site closed completely in 2014 with the loss of all 70 jobs, four years after Triumph outsourced the operation to major US logistics group Menlo. Manufacturing had already ceased on the site.
Howard Tenens property director Simon Emms said: “Groundwell Industrial Estate is a fantastic addition to our portfolio and offers plenty of scope for reconfiguration and refurbishment of the property.
“We intend to commence the refurbishment works shortly to provide a flexible and modern warehouse facility, with the works due to be completed at the end of the second quarter next year.
“This acquisition bolsters our offering in Swindon, where we currently have extremely high occupancy levels at our main Europa Industrial Park.
“The strategic location, with fantastic road access and wider links to the South and industrial Midlands, together with high occupier demand, should make this an exciting proposition in the market.”
Howard Tenens was advised jointly by national property agents Savills and Swindon-based commercial agency Whitmarsh Lockhart.
Paul Whitmarsh of Whitmarsh Lockhart said: “We are already experiencing good levels of interest in the property from prospective tenants, not having yet fully launched the property into the occupational market which is very encouraging.”
Savills industrial team director Rob Cleeves added: “We are pleased to be involved in this exciting project. The site has been well maintained and comes with the added benefit of expansion land to the side, which can be developed with the correct planning permission.
“With the lack of available property in the market we are sure that the property will be attractive to a wide range of occupiers.”
Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed. Howard Tenens operates around 3.5m sq ft of warehouse space in 15 depots across the UK.
