The West Midlands has long been a proud part of the UK's business heritage, playing a major role in the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Its influence continued into the 20th century, with many of the World's biggest car brands having a manufacturing base in the area.

The past two decades saw growth stall, but recent years have witnessed a rapid economic rebirth.

In short, the West Midlands is back, and in a MAJOR way.

Foreign investment has been steadily increasing over the past few years, with Chinese and Qatari investors taking a particular interest in the region. Recent reports suggest a significant part of a 5 billion pound Qatari budget is earmarked for the West Midlands.

This news follows previous analysis that showed over 100 foreign investment projects launched in 2015, the highest number for over 10 years!

It is no surprise that attention on the area continues to increase. There are a number of benefits to being based here:

- Excellent motorway and rail links to the rest of the UK.
- Significantly lower rents than Southern England.
- A skilled manufacturing workforce.
- Existing industrial sites and infrastructure.
The big companies have not been shy to recognise this potential, and the past 12 months have seen a flurry of activity to procure and develop brownfield sites. Tech, manufacturing, and logistics businesses are especially aware of the need to gain a foothold in the area.
Here are just a few of the major projects that made the headlines:

 

    - Amazon snapped up the former Jaguar Car Factory in Coventry, and plans to build its own huge warehouse on the site, creating 1600 jobs in the process.
    - Another major Coventry based project has just opened its doors, with Chinese company Geely investing 300 million pounds in an electric black cab factory in the city - the first new car production plant in over a decade.

    - In Wednesbury, between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, Lidl have built their largest distribution facility in the UK, taking advantage of the nearby M6 and M5 transport corridors.

    These investments mean the wider economy will benefit from a continued injection of cash, which makes it a great time for smaller businesses to base themselves here and reap the inevitable rewards.

    At Pall Mall, we have been slowly building up our portfolio of property in the West Midlands and now have an excellent range of industrial units, warehouse buildings, and offices available.

    With sites in Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, and Dudley, our locations have been chosen to prove attractive to established companies and start-ups, with many also boasting flexible lease terms.

    Rovex Business Park is our flagship redevelopment of the former Rover car factory, and includes modernised industrial units on a secure site. Interest has already been high among local and southern businesses looking to relocate.

    For our full West Midlands property listings, please click here or call our team on 0121 228 0000 with your specific requirements.

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