A builders merchant in Somerset that has been supplying the trade for hundreds of years has expanded into larger premises in Taunton.
Bradfords Building Supplies, which was established in 1770, has 43 branches across the South West and employs more than 800 people.
The family-run business has secured a deal to let a larger, refurbished unit within the Crown Industrial Estate in Taunton, which at 19,310 sq ft has five times the floorspace as its previous base.
The company said the move was partly driven through growth in demand experienced during a DIY “boom” during the pandemic, with people spending more time improving their homes.
Giles Bradford, head of sustainability at Bradfords Building Supplies and a descendent of the original founder William Bradford, said: "We knew we needed to expand our operation to improve omnichannel fulfilment - the new unit on the Crown Industrial Estate gives us capacity for now and room for further expansion in the future."
Property consultancy JLL, which markets the estate on behalf of real estate firm IPIF, brokered the deal on the new unit.
Henry de Teissier, associate at JLL, said: "It's great to see Bradfords expanding off the back of their success in responding to the huge growth in the domestic and commercial construction market.
"The growth of the building supplies sector has been a key contributor to the significant demand for industrial space during the pandemic. Crown Industrial Estate provides much needed warehousing and logistics space in a supply starved local market.''
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