King Sturge - Ideal for Investors - An Expert's Assessment

"The West Midlands is a natural choice for inward investors," says Chris Monk, Partner in Charge at King Sturge Birmingham. "It is at the heart of the UK and the motorway network. Outside London, Birmingham has the biggest professional and financial support sector. A high-technology corridor is rapidly developing here, and the West Midlands remains the UK's manufacturing heartland."

King Sturge is one of the largest European independent property consultants, with over 2800 staff in 100 offices worldwide. Its Birmingham office advises businesses from all over the world, looking to invest across the West Midlands. It has grown rapidly from a staff of 30 to the current 70 and King Sturge Birmingham is still expanding. "Our success is due to the ability to match our offer to a client's individual criteria. They may require an existing skills base, 24-hour capacity, grant support, a remote location or room to expand in the future. The West Midlands can provide all of that."

"The region has two of the three best science parks in the UK at Aston and Warwick. It is a major centre for distribution, and we are experiencing high demand for premises of 150,000 sq foot and over in this sector. The growth of international Railfreight terminals, like DIRFT and Hams Hall will increase the West Midlands' importance as a distribution hub and speed links to mainland Europe."

According to Chris, supply and demand of business premises is generally well matched in the West Midlands. The area does not suffer the ups and downs of other parts of the UK and is, therefore, better able to withstand any economic downturn. Rents in central Birmingham compare very favourably with London and the South East. Outside the second city, other parts of the region are also thriving. A ready labour market has seen Stoke-on-Trent attracting considerable investment in recent years. The new Trentham Lakes Office Park is typical of the high-quality office space now available.

Retail development is growing rapidly across the West Midlands. Within the next few years, Birmingham will virtually double its retail offer. Coventry and Stoke-on-Trent have also undergone a resurgence and county towns like Hereford and Worcester are thriving. Leisure facilities, too, have improved dramatically. It adds up to a quality of life that makes the West Midlands one of the most popular places in the UK to live:

"Talk to anyone who is passionate about the region," says Chris, "and the majority probably weren't born here. Once people move to the West Midlands, they fall in love with it. I am a Londoner, I moved here 12 years ago. I wouldn't go back. In London, it generally took me one and a half to two hours to get to work. Here, outside rush-hour, it takes half an hour from the country to the centre of the city. There are plenty of things to do here, and it's easy to get to them."

The region's manufacturing profile is changing with the growth of high value engineering, research & development facilities and premium manufacturers. American component companies are amongst those gravitating to plants like Land Rover, Toyota and Jaguar. "Added value services and top end manufacturing are the future of the West Midlands," concludes Chris. "That is where we have the expertise and where we can provide a profitable development opportunity for inward investors."

Interview given by Chris Monk, Partner in Charge.

For more information about King Sturge, visit www.kingsturge.com