Wrexham is at the forefront of North Wales’s industrious transformation, something we’re proud to be playing a pivotal part in at FI Real Estate Management. Nearly 20 years ago – with a recognition for its bold vision and determination – we created a footprint in the city andhave since witnessed its transformation into a thriving hub of innovation, collaboration and growth, attracting global names like JCB and Kellogg’s.
This transformation is driven by unwavering ambition from both the public and private sectors, as they collaborate to unlock the most effective, linked ways to stimulate the sustained growth of both SMEs and international corporations.
Building on this momentum, the £160m Advanced Manufacturing Investment Zone - brought forward by Flintshire County Council, Wrexham County Borough Council, North Wales Corporate Joint Committee (CJC), the Welsh Government and the UK Government - offers a monumental opportunity to create a world-class advanced manufacturing cluster that offers unrivalled growth support and captures the attention of other businesses, investors and stakeholders.
Against this backdrop, I’m incredibly proud that three of our schemes at Wrexham Industrial Estate - Wrexham 1M, Wrexham 152, and Bridgeway Centre - form part of the new Investment Zone, which is set to drive forward the growth of advanced manufacturing innovation in North Wales.
While many, in recent years, have become switched on to Wrexham’s potential following the success of its Hollywood-backed football team Wrexham AFC, Wrexham Industrial Estate has long played a key role in the city’s transformation.
Since 2006, we’ve been building our presence in Wrexham, supporting the growth of the second largest industrial estate in the UK. With huge belief in the potential of the city and wider region, we’re building on our existing £136m investment in the area, creating a new generation of industrial space that’s set to deliver an estimated £1.2 billion in value to Wrexham over the next 10 years and will expand our footprint to over 3 million sq ft.
Three of our upcoming developments, Wrexham 1M, Wrexham 152 and, Bridgeway Centre, will benefit from Investment Zone status, helping us to maximise our economic and social impact through job creation and business incentives, as we strive to transform Wrexham Industrial Estate into a community that draws international interest and investment back into North Wales.
With the Investment Zone set to create 6,000 new jobs across the manufacturing sector and attract approximately £1bn of investment, I’m thrilled that pivotal developments from FI Real Estate Management are part of an ambitious mission that offers benefits that ripple far beyond future tenants.
It’s our intention to use flexible funding to develop infrastructure and transport links surrounding the developments at Wrexham Industrial Estate – something that all tenants will be able to take advantage of. Additionally, skills investment will be critical for the area, providing opportunities to the local community, while developing a pipeline of local talent to sustain the growth of advanced manufacturing businesses in the region. This is something we plan to play a pivotal role in, supporting the growth of a high-value regional workforce.
Current and future tenants on Wrexham Industrial Estate will also benefit from a range of support incentives, including a five-year relief from business rates and Full Stamp Duty Land Tax relief, offering significant savings that will accelerate business growth. To put this into perspective, Wrexham 1M alone could see savings of over £20m direct to occupiers over the next ten years.
It’s the combination of these incentives and improvements that will position Wrexham Industrial Estate as a vibrant, attractive hub with the resources to accelerate the growth of advanced manufacturing businesses. Drawing international attention, it’s my belief that these flagship developments will spearhead the growth of a globally significant advanced manufacturing cluster for North-East Wales over the next ten years.
As a developer that has had operations in Wrexham for nearly 20 years, it’s encouraging to see policymakers investing in advanced manufacturing for the benefit of the region, with the same belief in its potential that we’ve always held at FI Real Estate Management.
I’m looking forward to working with both the local authority and the surrounding communities to write the next chapter for Wrexham. One that sees us investing to enable our businesses to flourish, our growth sectors to prosper and our communities to directly benefit. I couldn’tbe more excited to see the positive impact that these collective investments will have on our regional economy.
To find out more about the work we’re doing in Wrexham and the new developments we’re bringing forward, visit www.wrexham-industrial.com/fi-in-wrexham