Eaton Smith LLP have advised Huddersfield based Penmoor (UK) Limited on their newest expansion with plans to start production Spring 2025.
Penmoor have been in the business of manufacturing bottled water in Shepley, Huddersfield for over 20 years and have been looking to expand their business for some time.
Following the insolvency of Ilke Homes, the 275,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Flaxby, North Yorkshire, just off the A1 had been left abandoned and subjected to vandalism and large-scale theft of electrical cables and equipment. The site comprises a huge open plan building, previously used to manufacture prefabricated homes with associated offices, car parking and its own roundabout and spur off the A59.
Penmoor took on the challenge of restoring the site and converting it into one of the fastest water extraction and bottling plants in the world. Penmoor intends this site to be a ‘one stop shop’ in the manufacture and distribution of bottled water including abstracting the water on site, filtering it, making the bottles, bottling the water, and distributing it, thereby minimizing the environmental impact of importing bottles and components externally. Analysis on the site has suggested that Penmoor will be able to extract over a billion litres of high-quality water every year. With Penmoor’s plan for complete end-to-end manufacturing, they aim to produce over 104,000 bottles of water every hour.
Penmoor have invested heavily in clearing and rejuvenating the site. Despite the challenges, Penmoor are aiming to commence production during the spring of 2025. The site will feature state-of-the-art machinery engineered specifically for Penmoor allowing them to automate the majority of the process.
The nature of the deal required an element of commercial sensitivity and speed and the commercial property team at Eaton Smith LLP were happy to oblige. Given the scale and nature of the acquisition, a collaborative approach was required, led by associate solicitor Ian Holdsworth strongly supported by partner James Burgess and associate solicitor Jamie Humpheson. Exclusivity was secured for Penmoor UK at an early stage and just over 5 weeks from receipt of the draft documentation the deal was completed.
James Smith, managing director of Penmoor commented, “We have been looking to expand our operations for over 5 years, but our strict requirement for a high quality water source in a centralised location failed to yield any results. When this site became available we had to move quickly and covertly. The team at Eaton Smith did a seamless job from start to finish in what turned out to be a very complex purchase. Our timescales seemed impossibly tight, but they delivered and I couldn’t be happier with this outcome.”
Story provided by Eaton Smith LLP. Image credit to markflynnphotography.com
