A PROPERTY development and rental company is providing space for firms to flourish.
Towndoor Ltd, based at Meltham Mills, focuses on commercial and industrial workspace – with a property portfolio comprising more than 30 acres of land, 77 office, warehouse and workshop units together accounting for in excess of 1m sq ft of floorspace.
The privately-owned and family-run company was founded by Stuart Bamforth in 1988. It was the Bamforth group’s dismantling division that was first invited to Meltham to remove the former David Brown Tractors assembly plant at Meltham Mills for then owner J I Case Ltd.
Case was looking to dispose of parts of the factory, where it employed 4,000 people. Half of the factory was sold to Bamforth in the name of Towndoor Ltd – and within four years the huge site had been developed into an industrial estate fully occupied by 38 individual companies together providing 400 jobs.
A second site in Netherton was purchased from Allied Brewers, which became known as Crosland Road Industrial Estate. The site was quickly renovated and fully let to nine companies.
In 1999, Towndoor bought an area of land at the end of Bent Ley Lane, Meltham, where four units were built over the course of nine years. Bent Ley Industrial Estate was completed in 2008 and fully let.
Towndoor has continued to develop and build new premises across West Yorkshire for re-sale. It has also submitted plans for a £2m four-acre development at Meltham Mills while its flagship estate now offers a mix of original buildings and new units with units ranging from 600 to 50,000sq ft and including warehouses, manufacturing space, office suites, lock-ups, garages and yards.
Award winning tenants at its sites include horse trailer firm Equi-Trek Ltd, Fisher Plastics, Bolling Coffee and Snickers Workwear – as well as a cake maker and a Ferrari dealership.
Operations director Dan Bamforth said: “During 2012, a programme of upgrades to properties exceeding £150,000 was initiated, ensuring that each and every property is worthy of a place in our unrivalled portfolio.
“State-of-the-art aluminium floor-to-ceiling windows were installed by our tenant Clear View Bi-Folding. Other works throughout our portfolio consist of new palisade railings and gates, also supplied by our own JTD Building Supplies and Peter Myers – highlighting a commitment to supporting our tenants.”
