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A historic building in Warwick has been bought by an international software firm. 

Apteco, which develops and sells software to marketing professionals across the world, has bought The Athenaeum, a grade II*-listed building in the centre of the town.

The company, which is has its headquarters less than 500 metres away, is planning to locate a team of designers and developers in the building from the summer after an extensive restoration and refurbishment programme.

The building, on Church Street, was built in the 1780s on the site of two houses constructed after the great fire of Warwick in 1694. It was used as a reading room until the 1960s and has been used as offices since the 1980s.

Wareing & Company marketed the property on behalf of the owner, Education for Health, which has moved to Wellesbourne.

It is the fourth office Apteco has occupied in a 500-metre radius since being founded in 1987. Apteco employs 60 staff primarily in Warwick with offices in Frankfurt, Sydney and Rotterdam.

Founder and managing director James Alty said: “We develop software which allows marketing professionals to understand their customer base and the market place and to get insight from very large volumes of data.

“Our software is developed in Warwick and then sold to blue chip companies through partners. Around 30 per cent of our trade is overseas – and all that software comes from Warwick.

“We have always provided great working environments for our staff so our buildings are key.

“The Athenaeum has been used as offices for half a century and we intend to sympathetically upgrade the fittings and services installed.

“We have commissioned a historic building appraisal which will identify the historic merits of the building and its features but the main historic asset is the grand stone frontage which was added in 1780.

“Our team of developers will be based here and seeking a town centre location was a priority for a number of reasons. For example, we incentivise colleagues to cycle to work and we provide bike storage and showers to make that practical.”

The company will keep its current headquarters at Tink-A-Tank House – also a listed building – in neighbouring Jury Street.

Jonathan Blood, of Wareing & Company, added: “James and his team really want to make the best of Athenaeum and their plans to sympathetically restore the building really appealed to the vendors.

“Their headquarters at Tink-A-Tank house is a fully restored listed building and they will do the same with Athenaeum.

“It is great to think that cutting-edge software which will be sold around the globe, will start its life in a building of such age and distinction in the very heart of Warwick.”

A Warwick-based company is celebrating a major milestone with a multi-million-pound move and expansion.

APC Streetwise Couriers, based on the Heathcote Industrial Estate and with a unit on the Bayton Road Industrial Estate near Nuneaton, is moving to a new state-of-the-art hub at the Tournament Fields development just off the A46 at Warwick.

The logistics carrier, which employs 65 staff, has signed a 15-year lease on a new 25,500 sq ft headquarters which will see them treble their space when they move in during November.

The move, completed through Leamington-based commercial agents Wareing & Company, comes 20 years after owner Dave Cleaver started working for the business which he then bought in 2015.

The company has delivery and collection rights for parcels and packages across the CV postcode area for the national APC network but the move will allow it to take more and bigger consignments.

Cleaver said: “This is a very big move for the company and will allow us to continue the growth of the business. We have simply outgrown our current base and we have ambitious expansion plans and this move will allow us to put those into action.

“Tournament Fields is ideally placed very close to the A46 and M40 and transport links are vital to our business. It also helps that two of our major clients are our neighbours!

“We have five double decked delivery lorries visit everyday and having a modern, state-of-the art building will massively improve our efficiencies.”

Bill Wareing, of Wareing & Company, has acted on the development since the first unit was developed in 2005.

The latest letting means that there are now 30 companies at the development employing around 1,500 people.

Wareing said: “This is a major letting not only for Tournament Fields but also for Warwick and Leamington. This is the first time the developers CWC Group has speculatively built on-site and created a building which perfectly fits the needs of a logistic company.

“It is also really rewarding that it has gone to a local firm which is successful and growing and has some considerable expansion plans.

“Tournament Fields is very much a mix of companies who have moved to the area and invested heavily, and also ones who have used the development to expand their presence in the area. They vary hugely in size and also in sector and it is a real success for the area.”

Leading Midlands law firm Wright Hassall acted on behalf of APC Streetwise Couriers.

Bill Wareing (Wareing & Co), Dave Clever (APC Streetwise Couriers) George Gailey (APC Streetwise Couriers), Paul Shanley (CWC Group), Andrew Jones (Wright Hassall)

A leading retail property expert believes that recent movement in Leamington’s shopping market has underlined the town’s resilience in the face of the national downturn.

Leading women’s fashion brand Hobbs has announced that it will be coming to the town, outdoor specialist Mountain Warehouse is moving to Warwick Street while Kung Fu – a new Chinese restaurant – has agreed a lease on a prime unit in Regent Court.

Bill Wareing, of Wareing & Company which has been involved in all three transactions and also acts on behalf of LaSalle Investment Management which manages the Royal Priors, believes the activity is proof the town is weathering the retail storm better than most mid-sized towns.

He said: “Obviously the retail downturn has affected every town in the UK, but we are still seeing encouraging level of interest in Leamington and there has been a flurry of deals in recent weeks which is a very good sign.

“Leamington has a heritage of independent and niche retailers alongside the more usual High Street multiples, and that is continuing.

“Hobbs is a great brand and to have them move into a prime site in the Royal Priors is very good news, and the fact that Mountain Warehouse has decided to move to a bigger and better located unit underlines how well they trade in the town.

“The conversion of Regent Court into a food quarter has gone really well and Kung Fu is taking the former Two Seasons unit, which is 5,500 sq ft and is instantly making it one of the largest restaurants in the town and again requires a large investment from the operators.

“The arrival of other brands including Seasalt and the Cotswold Trading Company, and the new gallery Nova Fine Art in Warwick Street, again show that Leamington maintains a good profile with destination brands.

“That, combined with a really good leisure offer and the activities organised by the Leamington BID and others, means there is the level of vibrancy which is often missing in towns of a similar size and that mix is vital and does bring a resilience.”

King Fu has 15 outlets around the UK – including Stratford-Upon-Avon – and had earmarked Leamington after being impressed by the development of Regent Court.

Mark Hillier, of commercial agents DMR who act for Kung Fu, said: “Leamington is a really vibrant town centre which attracts people of all ages and draws visitors from a wide area.

“The creation of Regent Court has developed a clear and coherent food and leisure quarter which in itself if a big draw. The company has invested six figures and is looking forward to being a major player in the town’s leisure economy.”

Up to 100 new jobs could be attracted to Southam after a major property deal was completed.

The Wigley Group – a Warwickshire-based independent property development, investment and construction firm – has purchased the former Tichsa building on Northfield Road in the town.

The firm is looking to let the 40,000 sq ft building, and it has already generated interest from a range of users across the region.

Leamington-based Wareing & Company is marketing the building for The Wigley Group, and has had enquires from manufacturing and engineering companies as well as logistics businesses.

Bill Wareing, of Wareing & Company, said: “The deal to purchase for The Wigley Group had not been completed before we had interest from companies looking to expand.

“There is unquestionably a shortage of buildings of this size across the region while at the same time we have a thriving economy and Southam is a good location.

“We expected to get interest from the logistics sector but we have had more than one manufacturing and engineering company expressing an interest as they are looking to expand and see this as the perfect opportunity.

“Suitable accommodation for expanding firms in that sector is not easy to come by and a lack of it can mean companies either moving from the area or not reaching their potential, so hopefully this might fit their bill.”

The modern high-bay building with offices is located on the main industrial estate in Southam and boasts an eaves height of approximately nine metres, rising to around 13 metres at the apex, making it an attractive space for large-scale storage and it is extensively racked.

It also includes a 2,000 sq ft mezzanine, two self-contained internal office blocks, goods yard and on-site parking with 46 spaces.

Wareing & Company and Bromwich Hardy are jointly marketing the property.

James Davies, of The Wigley Group, said: “We recently moved our headquarters into the Southam area and it has been brilliant for staff and for clients. We are in easy reach of Leamington, Daventry, Coventry and Banbury and there is great access to the regional motorway network.

“While we are always looking to add to our portfolio, we are very particular about our investments, but the attributes of the building allied with the advantages we have found being located in the area made this an attractive proposition – as we hope it will be for potential tenants.”

Further details regarding the lease are available through Wareing & Company on 01926 430700 and Bromwich Hardy on 024 7630 8900

Bill Wareing (Wareing & Company), James Davies (Wigley Group), Louis Smith (Wigley Group), Tom Bromwich (Bromwich Hardy).