Peterborough storage and logistics firm expands with bank support

27 August 2015

Barnack Estates UK Ltd, which operates in the storage, construction and confectionary sectors, has extended its premises with £1m funding from Yorkshire Bank.

After experiencing a significant period of growth, Orton-based Barnack Estates UK Ltd has built an extension to its warehouse and office buildings, adding 50,000 sq/ft of storage space to the existing 110,000 sq/ft premises.

Funding for the construction was facilitated by Steve Woods, relationship manager at Yorkshire Bank’s Business and Private Banking Centre in Peterborough. The bank provided a term facility of £1m against a total project cost of £1.2m.

The group, led by owner and chairman, Rob Facer, comprises of three separate businesses: Barnack Confectionery Ltd, Barnack Storage & Logistics Ltd and Barnack Estates UK Ltd (Construction), each with its own managing director. The group employs 70 staff directly and a further 50 through sub-contracting.

Barnack Estates UK Ltd was established in 1986, originally trading as a confectionery supplier. The business distributes sweets throughout the UK to a range of leading retailers including Topshop, Superdrug, River Island and the Co-op.

As the company grew, additional warehousing was required. Rob built his first 50,000 sq/ft warehouse and realised he had a flare for it.

Rob said: “We had to build more storage space for our products as the business grew, which led to us expanding into the warehousing and construction sectors. We saw an opportunity to pull together a strong leadership team with the right experience and diversify the company.

The storage and logistics arm of the firm provides warehousing, pick, pack and dispatch as well as transport services. The construction part of the business builds industrial warehouses and has developed more than 1.4m sq/ft of warehousing in and around Peterborough.

The construction and storage businesses have experienced considerable growth over the last year, recently winning a large number of design and build contracts, which Rob believes reflects an upturn in the economy. The group is considering extending its warehouse facilities and services even further in the future to keep up with growing capacity.

Rob said: “The support we have received from Yorkshire Bank to fund the premises has been very flexible. Our business is quite diverse and having a personal relationship manager who takes the time to really understand what you do is important. The team demonstrates a positive approach to assisting us in reaching our ambitions.”

Simon Moore, Head of Yorkshire Bank’s Business and Private Banking Centre in Peterborough, said: “Barnack Estates UK Ltd has experienced continued growth over the last 30 years and has demonstrated a genuine entrepreneurial track record, identifying lucrative opportunities and capitalising on them. We are proud to have supported the purchase of the new premises and will continue to work with the business as they continue to grow.

“As economic conditions continue to improve, Yorkshire Bank remains focused on supporting the growth ambitions of businesses in the Midlands.”