Posts in category: News

A Gloucester off-grid energy specialist is expanding into larger premises for a second time this year as it continues to enjoy rapid growth.

Energy Monkey Ltd is one of the UK’s leading Victron Energy Dealers and has moved into a new unit at Space Business Centre in Gloucester.

Victron Energy manufactures products for off-grid solutions, such as houses, camper conversions, boats and commercial power systems.

It is only two months since the business took up its first unit at the business centre in Quedgeley and it has now expanded into a new unit more than double the size on the same site.

Energy Monkey Ltd specialises in off-grid power systems, solar panels and batteries, and moulds its service to the requirements of each customer.

The business has benefited from the ‘staycation’ boom after being inundated with enquiries regarding power sources for camper vans – and have seen a turnover growth of more than 400 per cent in the last year.

Energy Monkey Ltd has created a shop and warehouse within its unit at Space Business Centre Gloucester, helping it to continue to meet the demand of customers.

Director Penny Wright said: “We’ve enjoyed fantastic growth over the last year and that upward trajectory is set to continue.

“After choosing Space Business Centre as our new premises, within two months we had already outgrown that unit and have now expanded to take up a significantly larger space.

“We have established the company as one of the market-leaders in Victron parts. This is a market that continue to grow, and with that grows the potential of the business.

“Our aftercare and technical support services have proved hugely popular too. We received an unexpected boost with the demand for campervan energy solutions and that has propelled our growth during the pandemic.

“We have big ambitions and hope to double the business size again by this time next year and start to bring more full-time staff on board to support the business.”

Space Business Gloucester is owned by property investment company AC Lloyd, and is one of two such centres in Gloucestershire.

Space Business Centres offer flexible, easy in and easy out, multi-use units ranging from 275 to 775 sq ft.

Toni Willoughby, site manager at the Space Business Centres, added: “Penny and Paul came to us initially looking for one of our smaller units but soon realised they needed to expand again, and we were able to accommodate the expansion at our Gloucester site.

“Seeing a local business thriving is fantastic and we are pleased to be able to have supported the duo in development of the business. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with the business in the future as it continues to grow.”

Meala Racing Development, based at the Space Business Centre in Gloucester, will be supporting Ru55ellRoadRacing as the team seeks to race in every class at the infamous Isle of Man TT in May and June 2022.

Two start-up food delivery businesses have taken up their first ever property space and opened their doors at a Gloucester business centre.

The Country Kitchen and Sushi Day are two of the newest tenants to take up units at Space Business Centre in Quedgeley.

Space Business Centre, which is owned by property development company AC Lloyd and also has a site in Cheltenham, is now fully-let after experiencing a record month of deals completed across its two sites.

The Country Kitchen has been set-up by Samantha Monks, a mum from Gloucester, who has decided to move on from her career as a technical project manager and launch the new business.

It will look to bring the hearty, traditional meals Samantha would usually cook at home for her family to dining tables across the Gloucester area.

The new unit at Space Business Centre will be kitted out with a full kitchen and the business will be offering a pick-up or delivery service, depending on the type of meal you order.

Samantha said: “I grew up in a large family and there was always home cooked meals made from scratch on the table.

“I love cooking and have done since I was very young, we hope that will come over in the dishes we serve, which will range from lasagne and beef stroganoff, to breakfast burritos and wraps.

“As much as we possibly can, we will be sourcing local ingredients for our food, including from one of our friends allotments in Circencester and working with local meat suppliers and farmers.

“We actually found the unit at Space Business Centre after my business partner came for an emergency dental appointment at one of our now neighbour businesses. I thought it was perfect for what we wanted to do and jumped at the chance to take up a unit.”

Josielson Nunes has launched Sushi Day UK and also taken up a new unit at the Gloucester site.

He had worked in a Japanese restaurant when he lived in Portugal and has now opened his first shop in the UK dedicated to making and selling sushi.

Initially the unit will house a takeaway and delivery business, but there are plans to introduce a sit-in restaurant too when Covid-19 restrictions allow.

Josielson said: “We think there is a real gap in the market in Gloucester for a business like this and so far it’s going really well.

“Sushi is still a fairly new cuisine here and there is definitely an excitement, we’ve already started to build a good customer base in the Quedgely area.

“All of our products are made on site and the units at Space were ideal for us. It’s easy to access, not hard to rent and we see a future for the business here as part of a good community.”

Toni Willoughby, site manager at the Space Business Centres, added: “We’re delighted that both Sushi Day UK and The Country Kitchen have joined the business community at our Gloucester centre.

“It has been a difficult time for people working in the food industry over the past 12 months, but delivery services have thrived in lockdown and these two businesses bring something new to the offering in the area.

“We look forward to working with Samantha and Josielson as they continue to grow their businesses.”

PICTURE CAPTION 1: Toni Willoughby and Samantha Monks from The Country Kitchen.

PICTURE CAPTION 2: Toni Willoughby and Josielson Nunes from Sushi Day UK.

A Gloucestershire business centre celebrated its most successful month since being taken over by a leading commercial development company.

Space Business Centres, which has sites in Cheltenham and Gloucester, completed a record 14 deals across both its sites last month despite the nationwide lockdown.

The business centres were acquired by property company AC Lloyd Commercial in 2019 in a deal worth more than £6 million.

In January, a total of 11 new tenants were welcomed to units across both sites and three existing tenants expanded to larger premises at Space Business Centres.

The site in Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham, saw four deals completed, with the site featuring four separate buildings with a total of 56 units ranging in size from 275 sq ft to 774 sq ft.

The business centre at Olympus Park in Quedgeley, Gloucester, had 10 deals completed to occupy space within its 53 units, which range from 357 sq ft to 721 sq ft.

The new businesses range from sectors including hospitality, catering, construction services, manufacturing and technology.

Toni Willoughby, site manager at the Space Business Centres, said: “It has been a fantastic start to 2021 for us and we have been inundated with enquires since the turn of the year.

“We have found that many of the new businesses joining us stem from people who have spent their time in lockdown enhancing their skills in a certain trade, and have now decided to pursue what was once a hobby as a business venture.

“While it is always great to welcome new tenants, it’s a source of pride when we can help a business already with us to expand into large premises. We have a proven track record of working with small businesses to help them take that next step.

“Our flexible, easy in and easy out, contracts have proved hugely popular. It’s a challenging time for businesses currently and we only require a month-long commitment rather than a five-year lease which may be too big a commitment for a start-up business in the present climate.”

The Gloucester and Cheltenham sites are both now fully let  – with more than a 50 per cent increase in number of enquiries for units compared to January 2019.

Mark Edwards, managing director of AC Lloyd Commercial, added: “The Space Business Centres are our first investment in the Gloucestershire region and it’s great to see them continuing to go from strength to strength.

“The units are suitable for a variety of uses from office, workshop or short-term projects through to warehouse, storage or light industrial space.

“This makes the units very attractive to SMEs and provides the perfect first step for people looking to move their businesses out of their homes and into their first unit space, or for an established business wanting to expand without the commitment of a long-lease.”

A Gloucestershire independent clothing brand is targeting growth of 300 per cent next year after moving into its first official headquarters following nearly six years of trading from home.

Sara Da Silva Brazilian Sportswear is run by husband and wife duo Sara Da Silva and Simon Monahan – and they have recently taken up a unit at Gloucester Space Business Centre in Quedgeley.

Since its inception six years ago the pair have grown the now six-figure e-commerce business from the comfort of their own home and predict their new premises will help propel them into seven-figures.

The business was formed after Sara, a Brazilian living in Ireland at the time, became frustrated with the fit, quality and availability of sportswear.

She and Simon, an Irish man with a background in fashion & retail and an engineer graduate, decided to collaborate to create a clothing brand of their own, with one mission – to create clothing to support and fit women with real bodies, through the different stages of their lives.

It specialises in clothing for active lifestyles and is known for its high waisted, high compression leggings made in Brazil with Brazilian textiles.

Sara said: “Finally moving into a premises of our own is something we have been planning and dreaming of for a long time.

“Over the last six years we have sacrificed so much including our home, which until our recent move to Space Business Centre was littered with boxes and “living in our office” we were in work-mode all the time.

“With the growth of the business and lack of space at home we decided to contact Space Business Centre to weigh up the possibility of renting a unit. After viewing one of the available units we knew almost immediately that it was a perfect fit for our business at this stage of our journey.

“We’ve built a strong brand and reputation since forming and our customers have come to expect a certain standard from our products. Our challenge now is to stay true to those values and our identity as we grow in scale and bigger opportunities present themselves.

“Our goal next year is to increase our annual revenue by 300 per cent, build our team and inevitably migrate into a larger premises, which we expect to be able to do here at Space Business Centre.”

Gloucester Space Business Centre is owned by property investment company AC Lloyd, and is one of two centres in Gloucestershire.

Space Business Centres offer flexible, easy in and easy out, multi-use units ranging from 275 to 775 sq ft.

Toni Willoughby, site manager at the Space Business Centres, said: “We’re excited to be welcoming Sara and Simon to our business community at Gloucester.

“They have done a fantastic job so far to build the business to this point and we hope that by joining us at Space Business Centres we can help them to take that next step and support the business’s further development.“

To find out more about Space Business Centres and to view available units visit www.aclloydspacebc.com.

PICTURE CAPTION: Sara da Silva, Toni Willoughby and Simon Monahan at their new home in Gloucester Space Business Centre.

Some of the tenants we have welcomed to Space Business Centres since the start of the year.