Property consultancy Harris Lamb is overseeing the new £15 million 231,000 sq ft hub for vacuum cleaner manufacturer Vax.

The company is opening a brand new base in Droitwich to centralise its warehousing operation which will safeguarding jobs and creating more.

Vax employs 200 staff, who are involved in design, engineering, customer support, warehousing and logistics.

The new building, due for completion this autumn, will be the largest new build in Worcestershire in the last five years and represents a massive investment in an economy where design and build opportunities in a region which Harris Lamb said had pretty much ground to a halt.

Director Charles D'Auncey said: "Identifying a suitable site was a long process. Vax has an established history within the area, having maintained a strong base in Droitwich ever since it was founded in 1977.

"An extensive new state-of-the-art warehouse and office facility was seen as a critical part of the company's expansion and Vax was determined to retain its presence within the region.

"A development of this size is significant by national standards. In recent years, opportunities for design and build developments have been incredibly scarce as businesses simply cannot take the risk in the uncertain economic climate, preferring to take on existing sites and refurbish them to an 'as new' standard on shorter lease terms.

"This investment by Vax demonstrates the growing confidence in the industry. Harris Lamb has been able to advise on the whole process, which will comprise high-bay warehousing and high-specification offices and call centre.

"We identified the site after a long-term search process as being able to fulfil our client's exacting criteria. Negotiations were then carried out with the landlords, resulting in a new 15-year lease being agreed."

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