Derby has now got a “strong narrative” to attract investors after it had its best MIPIM ever, according to John Forkin, Managing Director of Marketing Derby.

Steve Hall, Peter Richardson, Phillip Hickson, Adam Wilkinson, Bob Betts, John Forkin, Richard Williams

A number of investors will be visiting Derby in the coming months following meetings at the property exhibition in Cannes this week. “By going to MIPIM and talking to the world’s property professionals we are trying to maintain the investment momentum in Derby. One of our key objectives at the show is to get serious investors to visit Derby to see what the city has to offer”

“It’s been really, really positive; probably our best MIPIM ever.”

“From a Derby specific point of view, we feel we have really got strong narrative now to tell to investors and we’ve had an awful lot of interest from the level of investor that probably hasn’t engaged with us in the past, too much, so it’s very positive.”

“What we really try and do here is we wave a flag, we get on people’s radar. Then we aim to get them to come and visit us in Derby, and that is what we have been doing. There will be a number of visitors coming to the city in the next two to three months following conversations this week, which I think will do the city no harm.”

Published on Insider East Midlands Website>

• Read: Derby Showcases £300m Investment at MIPIM>
• Read: New Inward Investment to Double Workforce>
• Read: Council Announces Double Development Plans>

Derby City Council Chief Executive, Adam Wilkinson has announced the Council is seeking a partner to carry out a major revamp of the Roman House office block in the centre of Derby, which is currently occupied by Council staff.

Speaking at the Derby City Embassy in Cannes, Mr Wilkinson also revealed plans for the Council to acquire the former magistrates’ court in Full Street from developer Wilson Bowden and transform it into a business start-up centre.

The Council Chief Executive also announced plans to start work this year on the Olympic-sized swimming pool in the city centre and the multi-sports arena on Pride Park.

The council would then work with Wilson Bowden to demolish the derelict adjacent police headquarters and develop that site for homes and a hotel. He hoped work could start on the court building by the autumn. Mr Wilkinson said movement on this key site was seen as “symbolic to the city’s future”.

Derby City Council Chief Executive, Adam Wilkinson, described how the regeneration fund was on course to create or safeguard 1,865 jobs and leverage £92.6m of private sector investment, speaking at the Derby City Embassy in Cannes yesterday.

As part of Derby’s presence at MIPIM – the world’s largest commercial property show, a Derby delegation led by the City Council held an event in Cannes which was attended by over 150 investors, property specialists, agents and the national media.

As well as pointing out the success the regeneration fund had in bringing HEROtsc to Derby – one of the city’s largest inward investments, Mr Wilkinson also described how the fund had aided the first speculative office developments in the Midlands since the economic downturn, Friar Gate Square.

Roger Shine, whose company, Lowbridge, has just begun work on the £20 million office development, said, “It’s important that Derby is here. It’s a city that’s perhaps still undersold and more people need to know about it.”

Mr Wilkinson also spelled out how the council was committed to investing £240 million over the next three years on housing, infrastructure and leisure schemes, including a multi-use sports and leisure arena and an Olympic size swimming pool. Both are to begin construction later this year.

HEROtsc, a call centre company that is creating 800 jobs in Derby has revealed it is in talks with potential clients that could lead to a doubling of employment at the site within 12 months to 1,600.

Chief Executive Officer at HEROtsc, David Turner, revealed yesterday that the company was so delighted with the quality of those workers – and with Derby as a base – that it was already showcasing the operation to three further potential clients.

“Some guests flew in from China a few weeks ago. Some others from the US will join us next week. I’m hoping by this time next year, that we will have at least doubled the employment that we bring to Derby”.

Mr Turner was addressing an audience of around 150 people who attended the Derby City Embassy event, staged in Cannes to try to attract more investment into the city. The event was part of MIPIM – the world’s largest commercial property show.

He told guests that he had been “blown away” by the quality of people that the company was recruiting as well as the business and civic community. He also described how he was persuaded to come to Derby by the city’s location, infrastructure and its record of partnership working.

“For those people looking to invest in a city moving forward, you will be pleasantly surprised by what Derby has to offer today and also what it can offer in the future.”

Investors from across the globe have today heard about a forecast £300 million of capital investment in Derby over the next 12 months.

A delegation of business leaders and council officials will be selling Derby at the Marché International des Professionals de l’Immobilier, in Cannes, France.

As part of the presentation, Derby City Council Chief Executive Adam Wilkinson will launch the quest to find a joint venture partner to help fund a multi-million-pound refurbishment of Roman House, in Friar Gate. Mr Wilkinson announced that the council intends to take over and refurbish the former Magistrates’ Court, in Full Street, to create additional office space.

There was also an update on the Council’s £10 million regeneration fund that helped get the Friar Gate Square office building out of the ground and news of additional investment in affordable office space in the city centre to encourage start-up businesses. Mr Wilkinson added that that over 1,800 jobs had been created by the Regeneration Fund already.

Managing Director Marketing Derby John Forkin, who is also at MIPIM said, “With Friar Gate Square, the HEROtsc deal, Darley Abbey Mills, the Magistrates’ Court and other schemes in the pipeline, the regeneration fund will have helped create or refurbish 362,000 sq ft of commercial space.

“By going to MIPIM and talking to the world’s property professionals we are trying to maintain the investment momentum in Derby. One of our key objectives at the show is to get serious investors to visit Derby to see what the city has to offer”.

David Turner, Chief Executive Officer at HEROtsc, was the keynote speaker at today’s event to talk about why his firm decided to bring 800 jobs to the city. Mr Turner said, “From the outset we were very impressed with the professionalism and, enthusiasm of both Marketing Derby and Derby City Council.”

“They wanted these jobs for Derby and their can-do, will-do attitude was both refreshing and invigorating during the often complicated process of securing our premises in the Pride Park area of the city.”

 Published in Business Weekly, Derby Telegraph Wed 7th March 2012.

Join us at MIPIM for the Derby City Embassy…

• Wednesday 7th March 2012
• 8:45 – 10:15am
• Hotel Eden, 133 Rue d’Antibes, Cannes

Today saw the work start on Derby’s major new city centre office development Friar Gate Square, which will be the first speculative city centre scheme in the Midlands since the economic downturn.

The development by Lowbridge (Derby) Ltd will be situated in the highly prominent location on the corner of Agard and Ford Street in the city’s Georgian business quarter and will create around 700 jobs.

Roger Shine, Chairman of Lowbridge said, “Lowbridge met the Derby team at MIPIM, and the message at Marketing Derby’s events has really helped to build our confidence that Derby is ready for investment.”

The office development made use of Derby City Council’s Regeneration Fund which has assisted in funding the construction costs of Phase One of the scheme.

A Derby delegation, led by Derby City Council’s Leader and Chief Executive will be at MIPIM this year, the world’s largest property and investment show, to entice potential investors to look at Derby as a viable place to invest.

Derby-based property group Ivygrove Developments is starting construction on small and medium-sized industrial units at a site close to the city centre.

The former Sawley Packaging site is set to be transformed with 20 buildings in a £2.5m project – potentially creating up to 250 jobs. Premises have already been taken by smokeless fuel depot Murfin’s and Marketing Derby Bondholder Flint Bishop Solicitors.

Ivygrove Directors & Stephen Salloway outside the new Sawley Park units

Ivygrove also announced the refurbishment of their premises at Empire Works site in the city centre to the tune of £250,000. The workshops have already secured two major lettings with Eggleton Steel and MJ Robinson Structures moving into 10,000 and 15,000 sq.ft of space respectively.

Ivygrove completed a trio of developments with plans to invest into a derelict eight-acre site intended to become a business park. The aim of building another 12 industrial units is to due to go through planning application soon for the site based on Raynesway.

Stephen Salloway, Managing Director at Marketing Derby Bondholder Salloway said, “It’s a clear demonstration of the firm’s confidence in the Derby market and building on their long-established reputation for providing business space to predominantly Derby companies,”

“To build speculative developments, whether for lease or sale, involves risk, particularly in the current market and I’m delighted that Ivygrove are reaping the rewards for their investment.”

Plans to spend £280 million in Derby will be detailed to whet the appetite of inward investors at the world’s biggest property show.

Marketing Derby is staging a Derby City Embassy event at the Marche International des Professionels d’Imobilier (MIPIM), in the south of France next month.

Derby City Council Chief Executive Adam Wilkinson will give a presentation about £240m of capital investment during 2012/13.

And Derby Renaissance Board chairman Peter Richardson will explain how £40m from the Regional Growth Fund will be spent.

The keynote speaker will be David Turner, Chief Executive of HeroTSC, who will discuss the reasons why his company decided to bring 700 call-centre jobs to the city.

The event, The Eden Hotel in Cannes, is being sponsored by law firm Geldards, architectural practice Lathams, construction consultancy Faithful and Gould, and Marketing Derby’s Bondholders. The VIP Dinner is to be sponsored by Innes England.

Marketing Derby  Managing Director John Forkin said, “MIPIM is an important part of our strategy to raise Derby’s profile with investors because anyone who’s anyone in the property industry will be there. Derby is not on investors’ radar like cities such as Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds so we have to elbow our way in to grab attention.”

The intention is to make contact with potential investors in Cannes and then invite them to take a look around Derby in May.

The result of previous Embassies at MIPIM have seen company Lowbridge invest in the £20m Friar Gate Square office scheme that is set to start work this week.

Derby City Embassy stand is situated on 16.20.

Places are still available for the Derby City Embassy at MIPIM. To reserve your place or find out more information, email melis.harvey@marketingderby.co.uk.