Tenant Focus | Adapt Displays
We caught up with Ben Jacobs, co-founder and director at Adapt Displays, manufacturers of bespoke retail displays.
Ben and business partner Dean have amassed over a decades worth of experience working within the retail display sector, manufacturing and project managing bespoke retail displays for many household names. Towards the start of 2018 they decided to go it alone and to set-up their own business, Adapt Displays.
Premises wish list:
Ben and Dean started looking for commercial premises in January 2018 with a clear brief of what they were looking for, a premises circa 2500 sq ft which would provide adequate space to house their manufacturing equipment as well as provide enough space for steady growth during the first years of trading.
Shortage in the market for sub 5000 sq ft premises:
However it soon became clear to Ben and Dean that they were facing a challenge; a shortage in the market for smaller commercial units at sub 5000 sq ft; a challenge set by many smaller businesses and start-ups who approach Wells McFarlane seeking a smaller premises.
After months of searching; a premises on the Bruntingthorpe Industrial Estate, Lutterworth became available and at circa 2500 sq ft with a yard, workshop and accessible to major road links Ben and Dean were quick to snap it up.
Wells McFarlane agree that there is a shortage of sub 5000 sq ft commercial premises and often advise landlords of the demand in the market for this type of premises – especially for small businesses and start-ups. When appropriate and given the demand in the market, we advise landlords with the right property configuration to consider splitting units and in turn widening their appeal to smaller businesses with aspirations to grow over the coming years.
Successfully trading out of the Bruntingthorpe Industrial Estate, we asked Adapt Displays; what next?
Having achieved steady growth in workload and new briefs coming into the business, so much so that they now employ two sub-contractors within the workshop, a part-time accounts person as well as guiding and mentoring a young apprentice at the start of his career; Ben & Dean are focused on continuing to deliver products to the very highest of standards, and working towards steady growth over the coming years.
Who knows, perhaps within the next 5 years they’ll be sending a new brief our way to find them bigger premises to house their increasingly successful retail business!
And finally, The team have put their skills to excellent use transforming their offices into a really unique, on-brand space – having manufactured all the unitary, worktops & electrics!
With a combined experience of over 50 years’ and a managed commercial property portfolio of over 2 million sq ft across the East Midlands, our commercial team are experts in advising on all aspects of the management, letting, sale and acquisition of commercial property.
