The landmark project, by Spenhill, the regeneration arm of Tesco, includes a new 80,000 sq ft Tesco Extra store, which is now open, together with 800 car parking spaces. Tesco has also committed to spending £3 million on improvements to local community facilities.

The Swan Centre features 150,000 sq foot of high quality indoor retail space. Many of the 18 new stores have already let to retailers such as Costa Coffee, Phones 4 U, Specsavers, Timpsons and Greggs. The majority of retailers have already opened their doors to the public.

Jonathan Simpson, Tesco Corporate Affairs Manager, explained how the Swan Centre, bordered by Church Road and the A45 Coventry Road, has been completely transformed.

“Between April and August 2009, the dilapidated structure of the Swan Centre was demolished to make way for a brand new shopping centre,” Jonathan said.

“As members of the public enjoy their first opportunity to take a look around, we hope that local pride is restored in the Swan Centre and that the local community continues to reap the benefits of the centre’s revitalisation for many years to come.”

The regeneration of the Swan Centre has resulted in the creation of 500 full and part-time jobs, with priority given to local job seekers and a number of positions offered to the long-term unemployed in the area.

The company, which is one of the UK’s leading providers of employment services and employment to people experiencing complex barriers to work, was looking for office space on a tight timescale. Highcross was able to offer an immediate solution, providing three serviced office suites to meet Remploy’s requirements.

Richard Spalding, Branch Manager at Remploy’s Birmingham-Yardley branch, said choosing Equipoint as the location for the new branch was an easy decision:

“Equipoint offered modern, well-appointed offices with excellent transport links and ample parking. In addition, the welcoming and friendly staff, impressive lobby and shared areas further confirmed that this was the right location to move to.”

He added: “The facilities and services are excellent and we have had all of our complex business needs met by Equipoint’s flexible and co-operative team, who have understood our needs and sought to provide us with everything to enable us to move in quickly and hit the ground running.”

Highcross asset manager, Helen Barker says: “Remploy needed to take space very quickly and we were able to offer immediate serviced office accommodation to meet their requirements. The company is now considering further expansion within Equipoint, highlighting the flexibility the building is able to offer to growing businesses.”

Equipoint provides a wide range of quality refurbished office accommodation from serviced office space for 1-5 people and small suites of around 500 sq ft to whole floors of 11,000 sq ft. Larger requirements of up to 30,000 sq ft and more can be accommodated across adjoining floors. Located on the Coventry Road (A45) junction with the Birmingham outer ring road, it has easy access to Junction 6 of the M42 and convenient public transport links.

Agents for Equipoint are Colliers CRE and KWB Offices.

Remploy has opened a new Birmingham branch at Highcross’s Equipoint.

Since signing the first contract over a year ago, Central Accident Management has teamed up with another taxi company, bringing the total number of drivers in its care to over 800. Sales Director Terry Ford says the partnership has been highly beneficial for the company; “We’ve been able to take on more staff as a result, increasing our workforce by 200%.”

The arrangement came as a result of Central Accident Management’s move from a leasehold office in Dudley to Equipoint’s serviced offices in Birmingham. The company, established in 2004, moved into office space at Equipoint two years ago and hasn’t looked back. “Equipoint was the obvious choice for us,” explains Terry. “The location was ideal and it was dead simple getting up and running. At Equipoint we can move office space very quickly, which means we can grow as and when we need to.”

Central Accident Management Services offers tailor-made solutions for people involved in non-fault accidents all over the UK. The credit hire service delivers a vehicle as similar as possible to the damaged one to any location convenient for the client, then recovers the cost from the negligent driver’s insurance company. In addition, Central Accident Management offers credit repair in conjunction with credit hire, which means that clients’ vehicles are repaired at no cost to the driver. The company also covers uninsured loss recovery and personal injury.

Professionalism and service are at the heart of what Central Accident Management does. Regulated by the FSA and the Ministry of Justice, the Birmingham-based company has also been awarded 1st Tier approval as a replacement vehicle provider by the Association of British Insurers.

Involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault? Go to www.centralaccidentmanagement.co.uk to find out how Central Accident Management can help you.

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18/10/10

Equipoint business centre has welcomed a prestigious European company to its serviced offices in Birmingham. Ostermann, a German company specialising in furniture edging, opened its UK branch this summer.

The award-winning firm, which operates all over Europe, used to deal with international clients through its export department in Germany. But Ostermann recently decided that the best way to meet its UK customers’ needs was to open a branch here, and in July UK Managing Director Sabine Kinner, who has relocated from Germany with her family, opened the Birmingham office for business.

Ostermann UK provides products and services ranging from interior design to manufacturing tools to every edging material imaginable. MD Sabine believes the business offers customers a unique package that fills a niche in the market.

Ostermann primarily targets furniture manufacturers, shop-fitters, and joineries, all of whom need the edging materials and services that Ostermann offers. And there seem to be more and more of them – “Our customer base is growing steadily month on month,” says Sabine.

Opening an office in a foreign country poses all sorts of challenges for a business, and this was true for Ostermann. The right location was crucial – it needed to be somewhere central because the company has customers all over the UK, who receive their deliveries via courier. Birmingham was ideal, an important city right in the heart of the country.

Sabine and her team looked into various office space options in Birmingham, serviced and non-serviced, and decided that the Equipoint business centre was the right place for them. “Equipoint was really flexible in meeting our needs,” explains the MD. “We had to make several office space modifications, including adding a wall and sliding doors, and it was no trouble at all. We really appreciate the 24 hour security as well, as all our products are on-site.”

Sabine is optimistic about the branch’s development, and says Ostermann UK will be looking to obtain their own warehouse in the next two years. Currently goods are initially shipped from the main depot in Germany.

To browse Ostermann UK’s range of edging products and services visit www.ostermann.eu.

German business gains an edge in the UK

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The organisation has taken 7,389 sq ft of office space on the fourth floor of the Equipoint building on a seven-year lease at an average rent of £9.60 per sq ft.

The move follows Seetec’s winning of a flagship Government contract in Birmingham and Solihull from The Department of Work and Pensions. Called Flexible New Deal, the contract is a new initiative for individuals who have been claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance for over twelve months, and provides a tailored, work focused approach to help them get back into employment.

Equipoint’s appeal for Seetec lay in its central location, easy access for customers and DDA compliance. Seetec Commercial Property Manager, Sharon Adams comments: “Equipoint has good security in place and the working office space is light, airy and of a good size. The management team from Highcross has also proved to be very accommodating and efficient, which has made the whole implementation process easier.”

Around two hundred local people will be employed at Seetec’s five new centres in Aston, Kings Norton, central Birmingham, Solihull and Yardley. The company will be working with Jobcentre Plus, local businesses and a wide range of partner organisations in Birmingham and Solihull, to deliver the new programme.

Highcross asset manager, Helen Barker says: “This is a significant letting and highlights Equipoint’s flexibility and wide range of high quality, affordable office space.”

Equipoint is a prominent, landmark building, providing quality refurbished office accommodation from small suites of around 200 sq ft to whole floors of 11,000 sq ft. Larger requirements of up to 30,000 sq ft and more can be accommodated across adjoining floors. Located on the Coventry Road (A45) junction with the Birmingham outer ring road, it has easy access to Junction 6 of the M42 and convenient public transport links

Agents for Equipoint are Colliers CRE and Vail Williams.

Helen Barker of Highcross with Alex Tross of Colliers CRE (left) and Ross Bendall of Vail Williams outside the Equipoint building

Alex Tross of Colliers CRE’s Birmingham office says Equipoint is well placed to serve the current market: “It is flexible, well specified, has a range of accommodation to suit any budget and the proximity to both the airport and city centre is a benefit for occupiers. The amenity value is also soon to be enhanced when a new Tesco superstore opens adjacent to the building next year.”

He added: “Highcross has a reputation for high quality property and excellent asset management and Colliers is delighted to be involved in working with them on this scheme.”

Equipoint is a prominent, landmark building, providing quality refurbished office accommodation from small suites of around 200 sq ft to whole floors of 11,000 sq ft. Larger requirements of up to 30,000 sq ft and more could potentially be accommodated across adjoining floors.

Highcross asset manager, Helen Goodwin says: “Our refurbishment has created a full range of well-specified space and services including on-site management, meeting rooms, manned reception, security and parking. Companies taking space at Equipoint can also be operational on the day they move in, with a share of 100 Mbps broadband immediately available to all our occupiers.”

Ross Bendall of joint agents Vail Williams adds: “The range of accommodation and flexibility of the building mean that we have maintained a strong level of interest, from small companies looking for serviced office accommodation through to major organisations attracted by the range of space and open plan floor plates. Highcross is also offering very competitive rents on flexible terms, adding to the building’s appeal in a challenging market.”

From its new offices, it will deliver the Government-funded Pathways to Work employment programme that aims to find suitable, lasting employment for Incapacity Benefits recipients.

The company is opening several new local offices in the Birmingham area, to make it easier for customers to access the service. Scott Wagstaff, Facilities Coordinator for WorkDirections said Equipoint’s out-of-centre location and its good public transport links, made it ideal for their needs:

“The location was a prime attraction, as it is easy for both our customers and staff to get to. We were also impressed by the interior of the building, which has been fitted to a high standard, with lots of natural light and a good layout. Negotiating with Highcross was also quick, easy and very efficient.”

The Equipoint building has been extensively refurbished by Highcross, to provide a range of office space from one-person serviced offices to 50,000 sq ft high specification office suites.

Helen Goodwin of Highcross said: “WorkDirections’ decision to locate at Equipoint, highlights the advantages of an out-of-centre location, with a much less congested route to work for staff and easy access for customers. We were also able to provide WorkDirections with the exact space they wanted, following space planning by our designers.”

Equipoint is located on the Coventry Road (A45) junction with the Birmingham outer ring road, with easy access to Junction 6 of the M42 and convenient public transport links. The development has 263 car parking spaces, a security swipecard entrance system and 24 hour access with on-site manager and security/CCTV.

Agents for Equipoint are KWB, Birmingham. KWB’s Duncan Scott said: “Equipoint is able to provide a wide variety of high quality space and the flexibility which Highcross is prepared to offer, made lease negotiations easy.”