Harworth Group has acquired Thorns Road Industrial Estate, near Dudley, the West Midlands, from Xandor Automotive Brierley Hill for €11.2m (£10.1m) plus acquisition costs. The transaction is in line with Harworth’s strategy to grow its recurring income base through the acquisition of high yielding assets with further asset management potential.
Close to both Dudley and Stourbridge town centres and less than ten miles from Birmingham City Centre, the 20.5-acre site comprises three fully let industrial units totalling c. 360,000ft² and will generate a passing rent of €1.21m (£1.095m) per annum, reflecting a Net Initial Yield of 10.2% and a reversionary yield of 12.75%.
On completion of the deal, Xandor Automotive entered into a new 15-year lease for c. 240,000ft² of factory space it currently occupies, whilst also agreeing a short-term lease for an additional c. 15,000ft² unit. Xandor Automotive is a key manufacturer in the West Midlands, employing 230 people. It supplies plastic injection moulded components and fluid conveyance products for premium light vehicles, with customers in the automotive and commercial vehicle industry including JLR, Ford, Denso and Cummings Engineering. The remaining c. 110,000ft² unit is let to Sunrise Medical, a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of mobility products, on a lease expiring in July 2022. The site also includes 4.16 acres of open storage land, providing further asset management potential.
Owen Michaelson, Chief Executive of Harworth, said: “Our strong financial position means we are well placed to complete high yielding income deals like this, which further improve the income generation and resilience of our portfolio, whilst also providing clear asset management opportunities to generate future value gains. This acquisition also supports our ongoing investment in the real estate that supports manufacturing in the West Midlands, underlining our firm commitment to building and strengthening the communities we work in.”
